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Part One Food Habits: A Lifestyle Choice
requirements are and the number of
calories you need each day. Often it is
a doctor or dietitian who explains how
many exchanges from each list are
needed to meet daily requirements.
With practice, the exchange system
can be used to plan a meal pattern that
fi ts your individual dietary needs. The
system gets more complicated as you
begin to analyze the content of combi-
nation foods such as pizza or macaroni
and cheese, but it is possible. Some foods
are considered free foods and are found
on a free foods list. Any food or drink that
has less than 20 calories and 5 grams or
less of carbohydrate per serving is a free
food. Gum, water, plain coffee or tea, and
diet soda are examples of free foods. Once
an individual is familiar with the Exchange
Lists, managing and balancing food
intake becomes simple to master.
Food Labels and Daily
Values
Reading food labels can help you
plan and manage your diet. The law
requires that most foods include nutrition
information on the label. The Nutrition
Facts panel on food labels is an easy-
to-use tool when planning a healthful
diet, 4-5.
As you read the nutrition panel,
you will see the term Daily Value. Daily
Values are recommended nutrient
intakes based on daily calorie needs.
Daily Values based on 2,000- and 2,500-
calorie diets for carbohydrate, fi ber, fats,
sodium, and sometimes protein are
included on food labels when package
size allows. (Protein must only be
included if the food claims to be high
in protein or is intended for infants and
children under four years.) However,
the Percent (%) Daily Values shown on
Nutrition Facts panels are calculated using
only the Daily Values for a 2,000-calorie
diet. The % Daily Value shows the portion
of the daily requirement for a nutrient
that is provided by one food serving.
For example, if a cereal label states it
supplies “20 percent Daily Value for
dietary fi ber,” then one serving of the
cereal supplies 20 percent of the fi ber a
person on a 2,000-calorie diet needs for
one day.
Most food labels do not have enough
room to list all nutrients for each age
range and sex. Therefore, labels highlight
only the nutrients most important to
the health of today’s consumer. Percent
Daily Values are listed for fat, saturated
fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate,
fi ber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium,
and iron.
4-5 Nutrition Facts on a food label list
the % Daily Value of various nutrients in
each serving of the product.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup (228g)
Servings Per Container 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories 260 Calories from Fat 120
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000
calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher
or lower depending on your calorie needs:
Calories 2,000 2,500
Total Fat Less than 65g 80g
Sat Fat Less than 20g 25g
Cholesterol Less than 300mg 300mg
Sodium Less than 2,400mg 2,400mg
Total Carbohydrate 300g 375g
Fiber 25g 30g
Calories per gram:
Fat 9 Carbohydrates 4 Protein 4
Total Fat
Saturated Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Total Carbohydrate
Dietary Fiber
Sugars
Protein
13g
10g
60mg
330mg
31g
5g
10g
5g
Vitamin A Vitamin C
Calcium Iron
20%
50%
20%
14%
10%
20%
15% 8%
20% 2%
Trans Fat 1.5g