How to Read Nutrition Labels |

If you are new to Canada and have visited a grocery store, you may be wondering why those little black and white charts appear on most of our foods. Those labels are referred to as Nutrition Facts tables and are aimed at helping you make healthy food choices.

Nutrition labelling has been required on all pre-packaged food since 2007. The Canadian government has selected 13 nutrients to be included in this table. Sodium (salt) is one element that you should pay close attention to. It is used in almost all pre-packaged foods not only to enhance flavour but also to preserve the ingredients. Always be sure to check the sodium content which is given in milligrams (mg).

Information in the Nutrition Facts table is based on a specific amount of food (serving size) which you should compare to the actual amount you eat.

Nutrition labelling uses % Daily value to tell you how much of a specific nutrient a food contains. These figures are based on daily recommendations for a healthy diet.

Only packaged foods require Nutrition Facts tables. You will not see these labels on foods from restaurants, on deli meat and sliced cheeses, and on most fresh produce.

These labels allow us to better compare food and make healthy choices when buying groceries. Nutrition Facts are also extremely helpful to those of us who must follow special diets, for example people with diabetes.

The ultimate goal of nutrition labelling is to promote nutritious diets and prevent chronic diseases.

More information on nutrition labelling: