To help us monitor what and how much we eat within the parameters of the food guide, we can check the nutrition facts label on the side or back of food packages. The function of the nutrition facts label is to list the serving size of a given food and the number of servings per package. The nutrition facts label also identifies the key nutrients in a serving, and expresses it as a percentage of daily values based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
The suggested serving size of a given food may be too small for an active male weighing 200-plus pounds who needs 2,500 calories or more each day, or too much for a 5-ft, 100lb sedentary woman. And sometimes that huge, single muffin or one yogurt-drink carton you grab for breakfast contains two or more servings. Sure, if we look closely at the food label, it will have that information. But realistically, few of us will look that closely or be prepared to cut our muffin in half to ensure we get only the suggested serving size. We associate a single muffin with a single serving.
Given these problems, the nutrition facts label could use an overhaul. But since only so much information can fit on a small label, it is hard to know how the nutrition facts label should be revised so that everyone has a clear idea of what a particular food represents for them. Front of the package information--aside from health claims--is a useful visual clue, and is becoming more commonplace.
At face value, dietary guidelines and their visual representation, combined with clear food package labeling, should combine to help us make better choices. But how much do they govern our eating habits? Right now, not enough, given that two-thirds of Americans continue to be overweight. Perhaps the new food plate symbol and 2010 dietary guidelines are a start; the rest is up to us.
