Title: Use the nutrition facts label to evaluate the nutritional quality of foods.
Course: Nutrition and Wellness (19253-18) > Section: Planning Menus and Preparing Food

Use should include

- examining package labels to identify
  - nutritional information (e.g., nutrients, amount of each nutrient, percentage of minimum daily requirement for each nutrient)
  - ingredients
  - serving size and number of servings per package
  - calories per serving
- applying knowledge of nutrition label components to make informed decisions
- selecting products that are consistent with USDA dietary guidelines
- reading other package information (e.g., health claims, storage instructions, expiration, sell-by and use-by date)
- ensuring the author and/or source of the information is reputable and presented without motivation for personal gain
- confirming the information is up to date
- presenting the information in a logical way and supporting it by thorough and legitimate research
- ensuring that more than one reputable source supports the same information.

Process/Skill Questions:

Thinking

- What information on food labels is most helpful to the consumer?
- What are the consequences of not using label information when deciding whether to purchase a food item?

Communication

- Why is it important to evaluate the accuracy of the information?
- Which label information should be required by law? Why?
- Who benefits from information on nutrition labels?

Leadership

- How can the information on a nutrition label assist in implementing the DGA or MyPlate guidelines?
- Should the federal government change its requirements for nutrition labels? Why or why not?

Management

- How can food product labels help with meal planning?
- What management skills are used when examining food labels before buying?

Teacher Resource:

- How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label, FDA