For more information, visit the FDA's Consumer Information site:
http://www.fda.gov/food/labelingnutrition/consumerinformation/ucm078889.htm
They do a great job of describing each part of the nutrition label.
The nutrition label on food gives a ton of information. While the calories, fat and carbohydrate information is all important, if you can't read what is in the food, you may not want to eat it.
One rule of thumb: If the ingredients can't be read by a third grader, you probably don't want to eat it.
When you read the ingredient list, write down ingredients you don't understand or know. Then, look each of those up. The goal is to know exactly what each ingredient really is.
Start at My Food is Made with What? to find common ingredients found in our food. The 10 Worst Food Ingredients site gives more information about some of those ingredients.
If there is something you cannot find in those sites, and you don't know what it is, type it into Google.
Have you ever looked at the ingredients of your food? Try it out. Do you know what all the ingredients are, or are there a bunch of ingredients you have never heard of?
We are going to look at a few of your favorite foods to try and figure out what those ingredients are. Is this something you really want to be eating?
Image from: http://cliqueclack.com
Nutrition information from: http://www.facebook.com/kraftmacaroniandcheese#!/kraftmacaroniandcheese?sk=app_10442206389
 |
IngredientsSKIM MILK, WHEY (MILK), PALM OIL, WATER, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF ONION*, PARSLEY*, SALT, SUGAR, HYDROLYZED SOY AND CORN PROTEIN, HYDROLYZED TORULA AND BREWER’S YEAST PROTEIN, CITRIC ACID, LACTIC ACID, ACETIC ACID, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, FOOD STARCH-MODIFIED, GELATIN, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE, LOCUST BEAN GUM, SOY LECITHIN, POTASSIUM SORBATE (TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS), GUAR GUM, CARRAGEENAN, YELLOW 5 & 6. *DEHYDRATED. Contains: MILK, SOY |
Ingredients:
DRIED POTATOES, VEGETABLE OIL (CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: CORN OIL, COTTONSEED OIL, SOYBEAN OIL, AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL), RICE FLOUR, WHEAT STARCH, MALTODEXTRIN, SALT AND DEXTROSE. CONTAINS WHEAT INGREDIENTS.
Picture and Information from:
http://www.pringles.com/products/flavors
If you want to look up another food, check the Ingredient List.
I had the best luck at the product websites, so I searched for Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, then went to their webpage.
Copy the ingredient information down, or print it so you know the whole list. Then, start looking up the information!
Image from: http://grubgrade.com
Once you have determined the ingredients of your favorite food, you need to think about ways you could make that food more healthy.
Is there another, more healthy version you can buy?
Are there ingredients that you can change to make them less processed?
Is it possible to use organic ingredients?
Ms. Tamara Schacht
District Media Specialist
School District of Mishicot
tschacht29@gmail.com