Understanding Food Labels

Understanding Food Labels

Randy Hancock

SCI/241

June 2, 2012

Professor Stephen Murray

Understanding Food Labels

This paper will briefly explain the 5/20 rule as well as six key label facts, understanding both of these will help the consumer choose the right food for themselves to be at their healthiest level. Some people need more nutrients than others, being able to understand what they need by following the 5/20 rule and knowing how to read the nutrition labels by understanding the six key food label facts, will help to make a more informed decision on what to purchase for consumption by the consumer to give that person’s body the nutrients it needs to stay healthy.

5/20 Rule

The 5/20 rule is a rule that is used to judge the value of nutrients on the food label of a product. 5 stands for 5% or lower of a nutrient that is needed or healthy (carbohydrates or protein) is not good enough, 5% or lower of something that is not needed or healthy (sugars and saturated fat) is acceptable. 20 stands for 20% percent of a nutrient that is needed or healthy is acceptable, 20% of a nutrient that is not needed is not acceptable. By using this rule a consumer can make a healthier choice for their food eating habits. (FDA, 2012, the Food Label and You-Video)

An example from my pantry would be of Thin Wheat’s; they are a form of crackers. The serving size is 16 crackers which is not a lot so I usually eat twice that amount which doubles the percent of the daily values. Since the level of bad nutrients in this product is low...