92 Unit 2 Nutrition and Food Choices Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. The % Daily Values can be used to evaluate the overall nutritional qual- ity of a food. Some of the nutrients listed on the label, such as dietary fiber fi fi and calcium, are benefi Greater % Daily Values for these beneficial ficial. nu- fi trients indicate better nutritional value of the food. Other nutrients, such as saturated fat and sodium, should be limited so lower % Daily Values are desirable. Use the following guidelines to interpret % Daily Values: • 5% or less is low—aim for this when eating total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium • 20% or more is high—aim for this when eating dietary fiber, calcium, fi fi iron, vitamin D, and potassium Servings When you are reading Nutrition Facts labels, remember to check the number of servings provided in the container fi rst. The amount and % Daily fi Value of nutrients are based on a single serving size, but people may consume more than just a single serving. For example, if the package contains two servings and you consume the entire package, then you have consumed twice the number of calories and nutrients reported in the Nutrition Facts label. Can you guess how many servings are in a pint of ice cream? Many people would guess one 2-cup serving or two 1-cup servings. Ice cream manufacturers, however, describe a pint of ice cream as three ⅔-cup ⅔ servings. This means that the calories listed for a single serving of ice cream from a 1-pint container refl only one-third of the container. flect Recommended Macronutrient Proportions by Age The recommended ranges (at right) for the percentage of calories from protein, carbohydrates, and fat in a diet were established by the Institutes of Medicine. Total calories vary among individuals based on a number of factors including g age, g gender, g height, g weight, g and level of o o f physical activity. Analyzing Data 1 1. According A cc or di ng to t o this th is table, t ab le which wh ic h age ag e group gr ou p has ha s the highest recommended percentage of calories from protein? 2. Based on these recommendations, do two- year-olds y need the same number of calories per pe r day da y from fr om carboh c ar bo hy drates dr at es as a s 19 19 year -y ea r- olds? ol ds ? Explain your answer. Health across the Life Span Total Calories Age Group % Carbohydrate % Protein % Fat young children (1 to 3 years of age) 45–65% 5–20% 30–40% older children and adolescents (4 to 18 years of age) 45–65% 10–30% 25–35% adults (19 years of age and older) 45–65% 10–35% 20– 35%