READING PRODUCT LABELS!

By law, food manufacturers must list all the chemicals they add to their products. Let's look at what a label can tell us!

NEEDED FOR THIS EXERCISE: teacher provided food labels & your textbook (Ch 41).

For each of the Food Labels provided, you will answer the following questions:

1. What is 1 serving size?

2. Is this a reasonable serving size (in other words, is this the amount a “normal” person eats when consuming this food?)

3. Which organic macromolecule does your food primarily contain (carbohydrate, protein, lipid)?

4. What percent of your daily value of sodium does 1 serving size of this food contain?

5. What percent of your daily value of fiber does 1 serving size of this food contain?

6. How many grams of unsaturated fat does 1 serving size of this food contain?

7. Look at the ingredients panel on your label. Name the ingredient present in the

greatest amount. (This is listed first on the ingredients list.)

smallest amount. (This is listed last on the ingredients list.)

8. Look at the ingredients list again. If you can, write down one example of:

a carbohydrate. (look for: sugar, corn syrup, corn sweetener, dextrose, lactose, sucrose, any type of flour, starch, molasses, honey…)

a fat. (look for: monoglycerides, diglycerides, lecithin, hydrogenated oil or any other oil, shortening, butter, lard…)

a protein. (look for hydrolyzed vegetable protein, yeast extract, milk, any type of meat, gelatin, cheese, nuts, whey, seeds, yogurt, rice (even though it is also a carb- it has amino acids)…)

9. Write the name of a mineral and the % of US DV provided by your product.

10. Write the name of a vitamin and the % of US DV provided by your product. (Example: Vitamin A, 80% of US DV)

PORTION SIZE


Name ______Per. ______Date ______

READING PRODUCT LABELS

FOOD / Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 / Q5 / Q6 / Q7 / Q8(carb) / Q8(fat) / Q8(prot) / Q9 / Q10

Follow Up Questions: Use your brain, and pages 971-977 of your textbook to answer the questions below.

1.  When looking at proteins in our diet, what is meant by the term “8 essential amino acids?______

______

2.  In what ways are vitamins and essential elements important to health? ______

______

3.  Cellulose (fiber) and starch are both carbohydrates, yet humans can digest starch but not cellulose. Why are people supposed to eat fiber? ______

4.  What is the most important nutrient for our body? ______Why? ______

______

5.  What is the maximum amount of Calories from fat the American Heart Association recommends per day? ______How much of this should be saturated fat? ______

6.  What are some health consequences of a diet that is too high in fat? ______

______

Kellogg’s PopTarts (Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Flavor toaster pastry) Lean Pockets Stuffed Sandwich Meatballs & Mozzarella cheese flavor

Nissin Cup Noodles, Beef Flavor (Ramen Noodle Soup)