Table of Contents
Nutritious Food Choices
When it comes to your family, you want to give them only the best! You learn how to make Nutritious Food Choice for Your Family.
With today’s fast-paced world and many options, it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to making nutritious food choices.
Did you know that many packaged food options have little to no nutritional value at all?
How to Make Nutritious Food Choices for your Family
Even when you look at the back for nutritious facts, the numbers may be confusing.
Here’s how you can make nutritious food choices for your family using the Nutritious Facts Table (NFT):
Look at the Serving Size
When you go to purchase a packaged food item, the first thing you want to look at is the serving size of the NFT.
The serving size is based on the quantity of food.
If you eat more or less of the serving size it suggests, you will need to adjust the rest of the nutritional value to accommodate your specific serving size.
For example, if the serving size is a ¼ cup and you eat 1 cup, you will need to multiply other nutritious facts by 4.
Know What Percent Daily Value Means
The percent daily value tells you if the serving size has a little or a lot of nutrition.
These numbers can be tricky if you don’t know what to look for.
If the serving size has 5% daily percent value or less, it is not a very nutritious food choice.
If the packaged food contains 15% of the daily value or more, it is more nutritious food choice.
Choose Food with Nutrients You Need
Nutrients like saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium you don’t need a lot of in your diet.
Many foods may come with a high percent daily value in the nutrients you don’t need and low nutritional value in nutrients you do need like:
- Calcium: Bone health
- Fiber: Intestinal health
- Vitamin C: Immune health
- Potassium: Heart health
Choose Whole Food Options
Foods with the most nutritional value are those that are not packaged or processed.
Choose whole food options like fruits, vegetables, and nuts more often than packaged foods. Whole foods you eat, the healthier you will be.
Test Your Knowledge of the NFT
Practice makes perfect, right? When it comes to your family’s’ health, it is always important to test your knowledge.
The Food & Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC), Healthy Canada, Retail Council of Canada (RCC), and the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers wants to increase Canadian awareness, and help you Focus on the Facts!
Test your skills of the NFT, and be entered for a chance to win a $300 grocery card, here!
How did you do on the NFT quiz? How will use the NFT help you and your family to eat more nutritiously?
Share your tips, suggestions, and test results in the comments below!
That is the cutest hat ever! What I learned is that potassium is linked to heart health.
Besos Sarah
Journeys of The Zoo
This is a great article! Thank you for sharing such great tips to help me make healthier choices for my family!
i learned readding labels are important
I learned that these labels make it easy to make better choices for your family once you know how to read them. And that you should choose more whole foods!
I learned that Potassium: Heart health. I’ve known how to read the nutritional label. but it’s great to see if/how to do it right
I learned that you should focus on the nutrients you need because some foods have many nutrients that aren’t so important.
I learned how to read food nutritional lables properly.
I learned that for a packaged food to be considered a good food choice it should have at least 15% daily value in the vitamins and mineral (good stuff) section.
I learned that it is important to look for foods that are high in nutrients that your body needs like potassium (and that potassium is needed for good heart health).
I learnt that reading lables are very important
I learned that labels are priceless when it comes to nutrition in the food!
I learned to read labels correctly and look at the serving size.
i learned about the major nutrients to look out for in food
Calcium: Bone health
Fiber: Intestinal health
Vitamin C: Immune health
Potassium: Heart health
I learned that potassium is linked to heart health.
I learned that Potassium is for heart health
labels make it easy to make better choices for your family also Potassium: Heart health
I learned that reading labels, but also understanding what a serving size is, is very important.
I learned ti’s important to teach your kids how to read a label.
I learn how important it is to read the label, and how important it is to teach the kids too.
I learnt that reading labels are very important
I learned how to read labels properly per serving. How to read, which has the most vitamin nutrient, etc.
I learned that potassium is linked to heart health and that reading labels are very important
I learned how to focus on foods with the nutrients I need.
I did really well on the quiz but I struggle to make great nutritional choices everyday. I learned that potassium is good for your heart and I should limit my sugar intake.
I leaned you should look at the daily values to see how many nutrients the food is providing . That way you can make healthier choices
I learned how to read a label correctly.
I learned that Potassium is for heart health!! Thanks!
I’ve learned that nutritional labels are important. The calories and daily percentages are all based on serving size so it’s very important to pay attention to that.
I learned that you have to watch the serving size when comparing products.
I learned about the importance of potassium for your heart
I learned that it is important to look at the serving size to determine the total number of calories
I’m now much better at reading labels on food 🙂 thanks!
I learned the labels can help make nutritious choices a lot clearer for your family.
I leant that labels are so important to find out what is inside.
I learned to check the serving size carefully. Their size is not what I might consider a serving size.
I learned that labels hold valuable information to help one see the nutrients in the product.
I always read labels, always.
I learned more about the Percent Daily Value of the Nutrition Facts Table, that the numbers are important & yet tricky at the same time.. that if a serving size has 5% daily percent value, it’s not a nutritious food choice. Go for higher %’s.
It really helped me understand the labels and reading them. They were jibberish before, but, I think I can read them now and I can make my food choices more confidently.
I learned that you should adjust your reading of the label (ie the amount of nutrients and calories you’re consuming) depending on your serving size.
very good info, thanks a lot
I learned that many packaged food options have little to no nutritional value at all.
I learned about percentage daily value and serving size. For example, if the serving size has 5% daily percent value or less, it is not a good choice. If the item contains 15% of the daily value or more, it is a good food choice.
I learnt that reading the labels is very important and we need to know what we are eating.
I learned that the percent daily value tells you if the serving size has a little or a lot of nutrition.
learned the importance of reading a labels
I learned serving size is important when reading the label because some of these serving sizes are a lot smaller than you think so you have to adjust accordingly.
I learned that I really should read labels more in depthly.
If the serving size has 5% or less daily percent it is not a nutritious food.
I learned how important it is to read the labels of products before purchasing
I learned about reading labels to find out the percentages of sugar, fat, sodium and fibre in the products I purchase.
Always read the labels !! see what your putting in your body !!
Always read the labels !! see what your putting in your body !!
To be honest, this was a nice review, confirming my current label-reading practices.
I learned that reading the labels can really help you in making healthier choices
I learned how to read labels correctly and to look at the serving sizes.
wow!
Thank you so much for sharing! Now i know to read labels correctly…
I didn’t realize that 15% was considered a high value when considering specific nutrients.
I learned that if you eat more than the suggested serving size you should remember to adjust the nutritional values accordingly.
I learned what percent daily value means.
I learned that reading labels are important and how to read them correctly
I learned how to read the labels!
I learned that it is important to read the labels and understand what they mean
I learned that the labels are easy to understand
I learned that Potassium – Heart Health benefits!
I learned that the more whole foods you eat the healthier you will be.
I learned that the more whole foods you eat the healthier you will be
I learned that reading the facts is inportant, it tells you calories in the products, vitamins, ingredients
Potassium is good for heart health
i learned labels make it easy to know what is healthy
I learned that it is important to read the labels
I learned to look at the serving size.
I learned that reading serving size is important
I learned what Percent Daily Value means
I learned how important it is to read the labels and how important the serving size is. Thanks for sharing.
I learned that it is important to read the serving size.
I learned to remember to refer to the serving size…
The article has some good information but as a scratch cooker I rarely use foods with labels.
i learned that serving size is important in reading the labels correctly
always check serving size.
It is important to check serving size.
I learnt to realise what a serving size is and to compare packages.
I’ve learned to always be mindful of the serving size listed in the nutrition facts since it might not actually be the amount I eat.
I learned that I should be reading the labels more closely
I have learnt that when reading the labels look at the serving size first.
I learned that potassium is for heart health. Im pretty good on reading my labels, but I think potassium has always been difficult for me.
I learnt the importance of reading nutritional labels..especially when you have a family member that is diabetic and has high cholesterol.
I learned that getting into reading labels and what they mean benefits my family by making good choices in food.
I learned the importance of reading labels in order to make responsible choices.
I learned the importance of Reading the label
I learned that you should look out for portion sizes to make sure your not eating too many calories.
I learned that the percent daily value tells you if the serving size has a little or a lot of nutrition.
I learned that it is sooo important to read to read the labels
I learned that the first step is looking at the serving size.
I learned reading the label is so important because we don’t was to be taking in too much of anything as it can cause health problems,my hubby has high blood so reading the labels are very important to us as a family.
learned how to read food nutritional lables properly.
Reading labels is very important.
learned to read labels correctly
How to use serving size.
I learned that potassium is good for heart health.
I learn I need to read the food labels more.
I learned to always look at the serving size.
Learned that reading lables is very important.
I learned about the link on the Canada website about nutritionChr
I learned how to read the product labels, check out serving sizes and a lot more from reading the labels.
The serving sizes listed on the label isn’t necessarily the amount you should eat.
I knew most of this already but it was a good reminder!
Fantastic tips!…where do I start?…Potassium for Heart Health…the importance of reading labels…serving sizes etc…
Understanding serving size and reading labels is important.
I learned that I don’t know as much as I thought I did. I need to start paying more attention to the labels, especially serving size.
That it is important to read the labels
I learned that foods with the most nutritional value are those that are not packaged or processed.
I learned that it’s ok to focus on the nutrients you’re after
I learned how to read food nutritional labels properly and I have to go easy on high sodium foods
I learned that the nutrition information provided on nutrition labels pertains tot he suggested serving size and not the amount you eat.
I learned how to properly read the nutrition labels!
I learned that foods over 15% of daily value of nutrients are a nutritious choice. Below 5% means it’s a poor choice.
I learned to pay more attention to the small printed labels for nutitional value facts.
I learn that Potassium: Heart health, I actually didn’t know that!
While i always look at labels, i learned more about what they mean.
Awesome article, I learned how to read nutrition facts correctly
Boy Ladies you have a lot of reviews good for you sincerely Mary Harding
I did pretty well, learnt a couple things.good to have this info
I learned that potassium contributes to a healthy heart.
Choose Whole Food Options
I learned that labels are important and easy
That values are non processed.
I learned the importance of potassium. I kinda of already knew though since i workout and lift weights. Is that considered cheating?! lol Eat your bananas boys and girls! 🙂
I learned that you need potassium for healthy heart
I learned about whole foods
It’s very important that we teach our children about eating healthy foods and reading the labels on the products that we purchase is the key to making informed decisions.
I learned that the serving size on the label is not what you should eat, it is just the quantity of food that they’ve used, to determine the values displayed.
I learned that Health Canada has a guide to how to read the Nutrition Facts Table – how handy!
I learned that it’s not just about avoiding bad ingredients, like sugar, but also looking for foods with good ingredients like calcium and fiber.
I learnt that it is important to read and understand food labels!
Choosing whole foods options is a better food choice
I learned that reading labels are very important
I learned how to read labels properly and what to look for.
I learned to pay more attention to labels in order to make better food choices.
I learned that reading labels is very important to learn about the best nutritional choices we can make .
The most important nutrients to watch for are:
Calcium: Bone health
Fiber: Intestinal health
Vitamin C: Immune health
Potassium: Heart health
I learned 5% Daily Value or less is a little and 15% Daily Value or more is a lot of a nutrient.
I learnt the importance of looking at the serving size in order to read labels properly!
I learned the first thing you want to look at is the serving size of the NFT.
It is very important to read the labels on your packaged food.
If the serving size says 5% daily percent value or less, it is not a very nutritious food choice.
Choose whole food options for better nutrition.
I learned its important to read labels
I learned that if there is 15% or more of a nutritious ingredient, that makes it a better choice.
I like that 5% or less / 15% or more trick. I can remember that!
I learned that potassium is for heart health.
You really need to look at the serving size to compare different products.
i learned that whole foods are healthier
I learned to always check the serving size and recalculate the nutritional value for the serving size.
I have used the nutritional labels for years – I have had type 1 diabetes since I was a teenager and it’s the best way to know exactly how much insulin to take at every meal. I also use them to monitor my sodium intake. However, I was unaware that potassium contributes to heart health, although it makes sense as it is very good for muscles.
you need to read the labels. HI everybody good luck
I used the labels to help my family know what is in our food.
Checking the sugar and salt content is useful to us.
Also, took their quiz. very interesting.
I learned that Potassium is very important to heart health.
Its important to read the labels to be aware of what you are consuming. good and bad
I learned that whole foods are best. It’s so easy to pick up the processed foods, but we try to make good choices.
That you should read labels to get more nutrients that you need.
I did learned that reading labels are important…
I learned that many packaged foods have little to no nutritional value at all.
I learned that Potassium is important for our Heart health
thx for the info
I learned the importance of serving size
Good to see how much sugar and salt are in products.
Great information on how much vitamins, sodium and sugar are in the foods you are purchasing. Great to know before buying especially if you are trying to cut out sodium and sugar.
I learned how much easier is to check the labels then i thought ! I love the tips like the 15% , easy to remember and use !
I learned to always look at serving size!
I learned that nutrients like saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium you don’t need a lot of in your diet.
I learned how important it is to review labels
Potassium is nutrient needed for Heart Health
I honestly always have read the ingredients on what I buy so it didn’t illuminate me really but I think its great that you are promoting this for others who don’t read them.
I LEARN HOW TO READ AND FOLLOW LABELS. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR TIPS
I learned to always look at what they are saying a serving size is – that is key!
I learned reading labels are important as it helps you to make healthier choices for your family when feeding them.
I feel like I already knew this information but it never hurts to have a reminder! Thank you!
I learned to look for packaged food that contain 15% or more of the daily value because it’s more nutritious!
I learned how to read labels properly lol 🙂
Look closely at the serving size.
I learned that if something has 5% or less of the daily value, then it has very little but if it has 15% or more then it has a lot so to look for the things that you want, like fiber with higher values and things that you don’t, like sodium, with lower values.
I learned that potassium is linked to heart health.
It states about reading labels not learning what foods are good for us
I learned to look more specifically at the serving size. It’s not always what you think it is.
i learned the benefits of various nutrients such as calcium and potassium
I’ve been a label reader for years however, it’s good to be reminded how important it is to read and what we should be looking out for. Thanks for the giveaway.
I learned, in this article, how to actually read the label.
I learned what percent daily value means
I learned that the serving size on the box, is not necessarily what you should eat at a serving! Wow!
I learned what percent daily value means . I will definitely look at that from now on.
I already know how to read labels but I didn’t know that Potassium is important for Heart health!
I learned which 4 nutrients to focus on for overall body health! thank you for that
I learned to be mindful of serving sizes.
I leaned that Potassium is good for your Heart health
I learned that Many foods may come with a high percent daily value in the nutrients you don’t need and low nutritional value in nutrients you do need like:
Calcium: Bone health
Fiber: Intestinal health
Vitamin C: Immune health
Potassium: Heart health
Good to know and I will keep a lookout for this information from now onwards!
i learned to read the label
I learned that if the packaged food contains 15% of the daily value or more, it is more nutritious food choice.
I learned to pay attention to the serving size.
I learned that the serving size doesn’t mean the whole package or how much you need to eat a at sitting. I learned lots of great nutritional info. I did okay on the quiz and entered too.
I learned how to correctly read nutrition labels.
I learned that it’s worth it to read the label…good info
i learned that potassium is good for heart health. I had no idea!
Learned about reading lablels and how important are serving sizes 🙂
It was nice to learn all the aspects listed on the label and to especially keep a lookout on the serving size to see how much you are really eating.
I learned to look at the serving size
I should look for high nutritional value in Calcium, Fiber, Vitamin C and Potassium.
I had no idea that potassium benefited heart health.
I learned that it is important to check the percent of protein and fibre in food products.
I learned potassium is good for heart health.
I learned how to read labels properly
I’m really familiar with the nutrition table. I use it all the time to compare products and to check for sugar since I’m hypoglycemic. I like the reminder for what too look for though because sometimes I just zero in one one thing like sugar and I forget to take a look at all the facts.
I learned that you should always know what is in the food you are eating. I do read the labels when I buy food.
I learned about the importance of checking food labels and what a difference choosing the better products can make in my family’s health.
I learned how to compare a serving size to the amount I actually eat
I learned to pick foods with nutrients in them.
Reading labels is very important!
I learned that labels contain nutritional information as well as calories, and ingredients.
I learned that foods with the most nutritional value are those that are not packaged or processed
I learned to pay attention to the serving size.
Potassium = heart health!
I learned that you want less than 5% of bad things and more than 15% of good things
I learned that reading the label is very important. And looking at the serving size!
I learned that If the serving size has 5% daily percent value or less, it is not a very nutritious food choice. If the packaged food contains 15% of the daily value or more, it is more nutritious food choice.
I didn’t know that potassium was good for heart health! Learn something new everyday!
It always shocks me to learn that people don’t know the basis of reading the nutrition labels… And from your article I learned that Potassium is linked to heart health.
I learned that reading the nutrition labels in comination with choosing whole food options more can greatly improve your healthy eating!
I learned to be sure and check the serving size in relation to the % statistics.
Good info. I have recently really started to look closer at food labels.
I’ve known how to correctly read a food label, but I did not know that potassium is good for heart health. This is good information!
Portion control is very important when eating healthy too.
I learned the importance of reading labels
I learned that vitamin c helps our immune systems
Read labels carefully
i learned that whole foods are healthier than processed foods
If the packaged food contains 15% of the daily value or more, it is more nutritious food choice.
I learned that the percent daily value tells you if the serving size has a little or a lot of nutrition.
labels are one of the most important things to understand
I learned that its good to teach your kids to read labels
I didn’t learn anything new, but it was a good reminder.
I learned that size (serving) does matter.
Reading labels are important
good info in this read
Learned About “percent daily value”
I learned Potassium is required for optimum heart health.
I learned Potassium is required for optimum heart health.
I learned whole food items are the best but to always check the label. It is so important what we put in our body.
If the serving size has 5% daily percent value or less, it is not a very nutritious food choice.
I loved this article and the entire Focus on the Facts campaign! I learned how important it is to look at the Serving Size, as the entire nutrition values are based off of size!
I’d learned the importance of reading labels,
I learned “If the serving size has 5% daily percent value or less, it is not a very nutritious food choice. If the packaged food contains 15% of the daily value or more, it is more nutritious food choice.” Thanks and God Bless!
I learned the importance of reading nutrition labels.
I learned to read labels correctly and look at the serving size.
I learned that potassium is important for heart health.
How to find the nutrients listed on the labels!
I learned reading the label is very important
I never knew before that if a food contains 15% of the daily value of a nutrient, its a good choice (obviously depending on nutrient and the more nutrients it has this much of or more the better). I just didn’t know that was the basic cutoff which totally interests me. Thanks!
Facebook One 2 Try posted about it
I learned that you need to look at serving size to get a true picture
Reading labels is so important.
how to read food nutritional labels properly.
read the label always so you really know what you are eating
I learned Potassium is good for heart health. I never really knew this & was important to learn.