Handout - Healthy Heart, Healthy Family, A CHW Manual

Session 6 Handout Read the Food Label for Calories!

Food labels tell you what you need to know about choosing foods that are lower in calories. Here's what a food label for canned peaches in
fruit juice tells you:

Amount Per Serving - The nutrient amounts on the peach label are for one serving. So, if you eat more than a serving, you need to add nutrient amounts. For example, if you eat 1 cup of Fruit Cocktail, you are eating two servings. You need to double the amount of calories on the label.

Calories - The amount of calories in one serving is given (60 calories).

Serving Size and Number of Servings - The serving size is ½ cup. There are 3½ servings in the can.

Sugar - The amount of sugar is shown (14 grams).

The Choice Is Yours – Compare! Which one would you choose?

Nutrition Facts labels tell you what you need to know about choosing foods that are lower in calories. Here is a Nutrition Facts label for a can of fruit cocktail in fruit juice.

Canned Fruit Cocktail (in fruit juice) - Canned Fruit Cocktail in fruit juice has 60 calories in a ½-cup serving.

Canned Fruit Cocktail (in heavy syrup) - Canned Fruit Cocktail in syrup has 100 calories in a ½-cup serving – twice the calories found in a ½-cup serving of canned Fruit Cocktail in fruit juice. This is an important difference when trying to lose weight or to maintain a healthy weight.

Information on this page is taken from the English print version of “Healthy Heart, Healthy Family: A Community Health Worker's Manual.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, NIH Publication No. 08-3674, Originally Printed 1999, Revised May 2008.

Last Updated March 2012