Learn how to decode a nutrition facts label

Do you know what you're eating? It may look like a simple slice of bread or helping of canned peas, but although the food itself seems harmless, the product's nutrition facts label may reveal a different story.

"We need to be more aware of what we’re putting in our bodies," says Anna Leiper, a clinical dietitian with the Nutrition Education Clinic of Capital Health in Halifax, N.S. "Especially now that we see the connection between our food intake and cancer, our food intake and specific diseases." These diseases include, among others, hypertension from too much salt and high cholesterol – which can lead to heart disease and stroke – from too much fat.

To help consumers understand what they're eating, the government of Canada introduced nutrition facts labelling in 2003 and made it mandatory on all prepackaged foods in December 2007. Knowing how to read and interpret the label can get you back on track for healthier eating and a healthier lifestyle. Here's how:

Understand the label's components
The standard label criteria states that calorie count and 13 core nutrients must always appear in the same order to make the nutrition facts easy to identify and use. Those nutrients include fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fibre, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron. Some companies further break down the facts – specifying the types of unsaturated fats or adding more vitamins and minerals – to promote their product’s healthy contents.

Read the whole label
Just because something is fat-free, it doesn't mean it's good for you, says Leiper. "If you're only looking at one component, you may make an inappropriate decision. Some snacks may not be fat-free, but they have fibre and a lower sodium content that make it more balanced than something that is fat-free without any nutritional value."
 
Know your serving size
"Serving size on the nutrition facts has nothing to do with a healthy serving size," says Leiper. "It just means that if you eat that serving size listed, then you're getting everything listed in the label below."

To find recommended healthy serving sizes, visit Canada's Food Guide. And when comparing similar products, always check the serving size first: When Leiper went to buy a candy bar, she noticed one had 13g of fat, the other 17g. She opted for the lower-fat bar, then realized the serving size for the 13g was for a third of a bar and the 17g was for the whole thing. "Sometimes companies will choose a serving size that makes the nutrition facts look a bit more balanced," she explains.

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