I’ve mentioned in the past how my mom’s attention to nutritional content in food was something that always stuck with me into my adult years. She was determined to raise healthy children and as a result, we are all quite healthy adults having learned so much from her habits. To this day, I remember her telling us we could pick any cereal we wanted, as long as sugar wasn’t one of the first ingredients listed. I was actually a little shocked (and a lot disappointed) to realize how many of the cereal brands I saw advertised on TV contained mostly sugar.
Now, as a parent myself, I check food labels as carefully as my mom once did. And finally, my boys are old enough to start learning about proper nutrition as well! That’s why I’m such a big supporter of the Nutrition Facts Education Campaign. This joint initiative from Health Canada, the Retail Council of Canada, Food and Consumer Products of Canada and the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers is designed to help both children and their parents understand how to decipher food labels to better understand the nutritional value of products they buy.
To help me teach my boys about proper nutrition, I received a clever kit that let my boys act as nutrition detectives by learning about the Nutrition Facts table on packaged food. Complete with a Sherlock Holmes hat and a magnifying glass, they sat down to compare two identical boxes of crackers, two cans of peaches, two boxes of cereal and two boxes of veggie burgers. I liked that the plain green and white packaging let them focus only on the nutritional information rather than any brand advertising. Being able to look past the fun and colourful packaging of a product is an important first step in analyzing a food’s nutritional value, especially for an impressionable child.
Zackary examined the two cans of peaches in detail and listening to him reason aloud about which would be the better choice was fascinating for me. At a glance, I could tell that one can of peaches, containing 35 calories and 8 grams of sugar per serving, was likely packed in water, while the other, at 80 calories and 17 grams of sugar per serving, was probably packed in light syrup. But my son also noticed that the serving size of one of the cans was bigger, prompting some quick math to calculate the relative amount of sugar in each portion. And the high-sugar peaches also featured more vitamin A, which led to a discussion about whether the sugary fruit was a better choice because of its added vitamins.
The crackers were a similar comparative experiment. One had a serving size of just four crackers while the other had a serving size of 9 crackers. Yet the actual grams of each serving were almost identical. Once again, a discussion was started about properly figuring out serving size. The big difference between these two cracker varieties was the sodium. One variety with slightly more protein and sugar per serving had just 90 mg of sodium, or 4% of the recommended daily intake, while the sugar-free crackers had a whopping 280mg of sodium, 12% of the RDI!
If you’d like to test out your own nutritional knowledge, the Nutrition Facts Education Campaign has a great contest running right now that you won’t want to miss! Just visit www.focusonthefacts.ca and answer the daily quiz for a chance to win a $300 grocery gift card! Can’t wait to go shopping and put your nutritional knowledge to work? I also have a $100 grocery gift card to give away to one of my lucky readers! To enter to win, just leave a blog comment about whether you currently check the Nutrition Facts table when choosing food items.
Both the boys had fun examining the differences between the packages to try to find the healthiest option for our family. And I loved that they were learning the same lessons that I once learned as a child…that making smart food choices means looking beyond bright packaging and well-known brands to find out what’s really inside the food you’re eating! Check out www.FocusontheFacts.ca for more information on how to teach your kids about reading food labels, and let them try comparing a few brands in your house too. You may just be surprised at how different the nutritional value of similar foods can be!
Amy Heffernan says
Yip! I always check the fiber content!
Jenny Major says
i got 3/4..great giveaway
l p says
yes – always reading the labels. thanks
Judy Cowan says
Yes I do check the nutritional labels, we are having to watch our fat & sugars so I am always checking before buying it.
Christine Murray says
Yes, since being diagnosed with diabetes I check all the food labels
Francine says
I check the labels before buying anything new.
Amy R says
I usually try to check the labels… like to check calories, fat, sodium, fiber, sugar and protein contents.
Erinn Lishman says
I definitely check, especially for comparison shopping. I try avoid sugar and always look for high fibre content!
BlessedTA says
Yes, I do.
Lynda Cook says
I do check the labels when shopping and it’s a great thing to learn and teach the kids as well!!
Jenna D says
Yep, usually looking for calories/fat, protein, fiber, and ensuring low sodium content 🙂
Tara Betterley says
I currently do not pay attention to the labels. I am usually in such a rush to get groceries done that it is like a grab and stash.. I really need to start looking at the labels so that I can eat healthier and understand what I am putting in my body.
Jody D says
I frequently check for sodium, saturated fats and calories to see if anything is excessive!
Elaine G says
Yes I do check the labels.
Holly MacRitchie says
I am more cautious about reading the nutrition labels now that I have my daughter!
Lee-Ann says
I do on occasion, I usually focus on the ingredient list since we have a nut allergy in the house. I tend to check the nutritional info if I’m focusing on eating healthy which isn’t a lot of the time.
Jennifer P. says
Yes, I currently check the Nutrition Facts table when shopping for food – usually aiming to buy items with low sugar, salt and fat amounts, as well as no artificial additives. And I like to see if there is a good calcium and iron content too.
jan says
Yes, we have been checking the nutrition facts for quite a number of years especially due to sodium levels in packaged foods.
409cope says
I always check the nutrition labels, especially for protein and carb amouts.
Soozle says
I do check labels when shopping
Jenness M says
I always check the labels!
Glogirl says
I occasionally check the label. Having a diabetic in the household, I am particularly interested in sugar and fiber content.
MaryG says
I often check the labels for sugar amount per serving as well as iron %
Melinda Jana says
I have been checking for over 2 years now, it was drilled into my by my dietitian and it became a habit
christine w says
I typically do not unless it’s a snack food.
nancy lafrance says
Yes, usually! I follow a specific diet and need to know the information.
Marlene J says
Yes, I read most times the labels before purchasing a product
Rajbinder Kaur says
I always check the nutrition label on anything new I am thinking of purchasing.rr
Michelle Policelli says
Yes, i always check the labels!
Tooth Fairy says
I am especially interested in sugar content when I read labels.
sarah alexis says
I often check the nutrition facts on products I buy!
Debbie White Beattie says
As much as I know I should check the table of contents I rarely do check unless I remember or a recipe calls for it
Victoria Ess says
I always check and compare the labels.
Sherry K says
I always check the Nutrition Facts table and not only on new foods to me because companies change my old regular foods, too.
Carol Denny says
I do check the Nutrition Facts on everything I buy.
Julie F says
I like to check the Nutrition Facts
Donnas says
I find that I’ve been checking the labels more often now than I did in the past.
Wendy Jensen says
Most of the time I check the Nutrition facts.
lori butler says
i find that i am checking them out more and more each time I shop
Diana Powell says
I do pay attention to labels . I like to check the sodium in products.
Mishelle says
Yes, I always check the labels – I have to, I’m kinda chubby,
M
Deanna Barkley says
I check the labels on new items that I haven’t tried before.
Linda Klages says
As a diabetic, I do check for sugar and all the other names it might be hidden under
Treen Goodwin says
Yes i have really just started to read the labels , as i am trying to eat healthier , and watch for different things ! i am trying to lose weight !
Betty S says
I try to remember to check the sugar and carb count but sometimes the picture on the box gets the best of me
Carole B says
Yes, i always check!
kathy downey says
I currently check the sodium content on the Nutrition Facts table when shopping for food.
Heidi C. says
I am a big proponent of checking food labels.
Irene Eichler says
yes we do check the food labels !
Brenda Lacourciere says
I usually only check when its a snack for the kids because I know how bad these can be.