What’s on a Label?

Session Overview

In this session, participants will learn how to read food labels and use this information to select healthier foods. An educator will provide an overview of the information and nutrient listings found on food labels. Class participants will practice label reading by looking at food packages and answering questions on a worksheet. The group will discuss what information is most useful to them and how they will use label reading to make healthier food choices.

Target Audience: English and Spanish speaking adults

Group Size: 5-30 participants

Time Needed: 30 – 45 minutes

Behavioral Objectives:

After the session participants will be able to:

1.  Name three nutrients listed on the food label.

2.  State at least 2 reasons why it is important to read the food label when shopping for food.

3.  Use the food label to choose a beverage that is 100% juice and a cereal that is high in fiber.

Key Message:

Individuals can use the food label to make healthier food choices and to compare the nutritional content of similar foods.

Materials Needed for Session:

·  Power Play! 4th Grade “Sample Nutrition Facts Labels” handout; Team Nutrition “Read It Before You Eat It” mini poster handout

·  Team Nutrition “Read It Before You Eat It” poster

·  Sample nutrition labels including cereal boxes; snack food packages; ramen noodle package; canned food; 100% juice and fruit-flavored drink nutrition labels; etc.

·  BANPAC “Show Me the Sugar” cereal bar label

·  Cereal, small bowls

·  Measuring cups

·  Network “Healthy Latino Recipes” cookbook

Outline of 45-minute session (30-minute session in italics):

·  Welcome and introduction to “What’s on a Label?” (5 min) (2 min)

·  Activity 1: Serving Size and Servings per Container (8 min) (6 min)

·  Activity 2: Nutrition Numbers (11 min) (8 min)

·  Activity 3: Practice Reading Food Labels (11 min) (8 min)

·  Activity 4: Using the food label to find healthier foods (5 min) (3 min)

·  Review questions and evaluation (5 min) (3 min)


Welcome to “What’s on a Label?”

1.  Introduce the class topic and distribute the Power Play! “Sample Nutrition Facts Labels” and “Read It” handouts.

2.  Review the class objectives and the key message. Ask the following questions:

·  How many of you read food labels when you shop for food? (Raise hands)

·  Who can tell me what is on a food label? (Wait for responses - calories, fat, fiber, etc.)

·  Why is it important to read food labels? (Wait for responses - make healthy food choices, compare similar foods, find out what is in different foods, etc.)

Today we are going to learn how to read food labels so we can make healthy food choices.

Activity 1: Serving Size and Servings Per Container (Adapted from USDA Team Nutrition)

1.  Who can tell me the first thing listed on a food label? (Serving size / # servings per container). Locate serving size and servings per container on “Read It” poster. Emphasize that the nutrient content listed on the label is for one serving. If you eat two servings, you need to double the nutrient values listed.

2.  Demonstration

  1. Select two volunteers from the class (one man and one woman if possible) to pour the amount of cereal they would normally eat into a bowl.
  2. Read the serving size listed on the cereal box and pour that amount into bowl.
  3. Compare the amount of cereal typically eaten to the serving size listed on the label.
  4. Ask each participant to estimate the number of calories in the amount of cereal they poured to the calories in one serving.

Activity 2: Nutrition Numbers

Distribute the “Read It” mini poster Power Play! “Sample Nutrition Facts Labels” handouts

1.  Calories: Ask the following questions:

-  If you eat 2 servings of potato chips, how many calories have you eaten?

-  If you eat 2 servings of strawberries, how many calories have you eaten?

2.  Nutrients: “5 – 20 Guide”

Refer to the “Read It” poster and handout.

a. Explain how to use the “5-20 Guide” (5% or less is low, 20% or more is high)

-  Identify nutrients that should have a high percent (get enough of – fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron).

-  Identify nutrients that should have a low percent (get less of – total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar).

·  2010 Dietary Guidelines – focus on sodium and added sugar

§  Sodium – nutrition facts and ingredient list

§  Added sugar – not separated from “natural” sugar on nutrition facts; have to read ingredient list

b. Ask the following questions:

-  How many servings of potato chips would you have to eat to get at least 100% of the daily value of vitamin C? If you ate that many servings, how many calories would you have eaten? How many mg of sodium?

-  How many servings of strawberries would you have to eat to get at least 100% of the daily value of vitamin C? If you ate that many servings, how many calories would you have eaten? How many mg of sodium?

3.  Other sections of the label:

-  Ingredients: listed in order (most to least)

-  Special terms (such as percent juice)

-  Health claims (refer to “Show Me the Sugar” cereal bar label)

Activity 3: Practice Reading Food Labels

1.  Distribute the “salty” snack/food packages to a few participants.

·  Ask each participant to read the serving size, calories and sodium content to compare sodium content and determine the healthier choices.

2.  Distribute the cereal boxes to a few participants.

·  Ask the participants to guess which cereals have the most sugar and which have the least sugar. Ask the participants to stand in line starting with the cereal they think has the most sugar and ending with the cereal they think has the least sugar.

·  Ask each participant to read the serving size, calories, sugar and fiber content to determine the healthier choices and adjust the line as needed.

3.  Distribute the drink labels to a few participants.

·  Ask participants to read the serving size, calories, percent juice and sugar content to determine the healthier choices.

·  Form a line from lowest sugar content to highest as time permits.

Activity 4: Using the food label to find healthier foods

In small groups or in pairs, discuss the following questions:

1.  What items on the food label are most helpful to you?

2.  What food label are you going to read before you buy the item next time?

Activity 5: Home Activity

Ask the participants to read at least two cereal box labels and the label on one of their favorite snack foods during their next trip to the grocery store.

Review:

Ask participants if they have any questions. Review the following:

·  What type of information can you find on a food label?

(Serving size, calories, fat, vitamins, ingredients, etc.)

·  Why is it important to know how many servings are in a package and the serving size?

(Portion size, calories, cost)

·  How can you use the nutrition facts label?

(Compare foods, help you make healthy choices, choose foods low in sugar/high in fiber, choose foods low in fat)

·  Name 3 nutrients on the food label you need to get enough of

(Refer to “Read It” poster: vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber)

·  Name 3 nutrients on the food label you need to get less of

(Refer to “Read It” poster: fat, cholesterol, sodium)

·  A healthy juice has 100% juice on the label. True or False?

Conclusion and Evaluation:

·  Ask participants if they have any questions.

·  Distribute evaluation forms or conduct verbally. Collect forms and use results to improve future presentations.

What’s on a Label?

After attending this class I feel confident that I can:

Agree Very Much / Agree / I Am
Not Sure / Disagree / Disagree
Very Much
1. Name 3 nutrients listed on the food label.
2. State at least 2 reasons why it is important to read the food label when shopping for food.
3. Use the food label to choose a beverage that is 100% juice and a cereal that is high in fiber.

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