Food Label Analysis
When you go to a gas station you have a choice of which fuel to choose for your
car: regular, super unleaded, or premium. When you go the grocery, restaurant, or
cafeteria you have a choice of which fuel to choose for your body. Different fuels
(food ) contain different amounts of energy (calories) . There are also different kinds of energy. The three main types of food energy are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The Dietary Guidelines suggest that 55% or more of a person’s calories should come from carbohydrates (best are complex carbohydrates), about 15% from protein, and 30% or less from fat. The % Daily Values listed on labels is a guide, not the actual percentages in that item. To determine the actual percentages, you need to mulitple the grams for each macro listed by the caloric value for that macro, then divide by the total number of calories. The values are:
Fat = 9 calories per gram
Carbohydrate = 4 calories per gram
Protein = 4 calories per gram
Example: Say the item has 3 grams of fat and 100 calories per serving. 3 x 9 = 27 divided by 100 = 27%.
If the item has 100 calories and 16 grams of carbohydrates, then the actual percentage is 64%. (16 x 4 = 64 divided by 100 = 64%.
1. Which is the most plentiful ingredient in the food item?________________________
2. Which is the least plentiful ingredient in the food item?________________________
3. How many calories per serving?____________
4. How many fat grams per serving?___________
5. What is the percentage of fat in each serving?___________
6. How many carbohydrate grams per serving?____________
7. What is the percentage of carbohydrates?_____________
8. How many grams of protein per serving?____________
9. What is the percentage of protein per serving?____________
10. The percentages listed on a food label are based on the ingredients in that item. T F
Scroll down to see the label to use for the analysis: