On June 18th my daughter and I attended the Nutrition Facts Education Campaign, held at the Humber Bay Metro location. This is an initiative from the Government of Canada and collaborating partners our. The event provided us with tips to better understand how to use the Nutrition Facts table to make more informed food choices for our families in a fun and educational manner.
Our little detectives were on the case, they began by creating a handy little canvas bag to collect clues on our fact finding mission. We set out in groups to locate 6 different products and compare them on the table.
Snack Comparison
Our group compared Nutella Muffins against Vachon Half Moon Cake snacks. We learned about both products nutritional value (calories and nutrients) and were able to see which one contained little (5% DV or less) or a lot (15% DV or more) of a nutrient. To our surprise the Half Moons were healthier than the muffins. What we think may be unhealthy, may have the proper amount of nutrients compared to those products we think are healthy.
The Nutritional Facts Table
Serving size, calories and %DV are the core concepts behind the present Nutrition Facts table as well as focusing on 13 core nutrients (see chart below). Most food in Canada will have a nutrition table with the exception of a handful of items, such as tea, coffee, vinegar or spices.
Find out more about the facts at Nutrition Facts or Focus On the Facts
I don’t always look at the labels on the food products I pick up while grocery shopping. I usually only look when it is a new product that I am trying for the first time, but am only looking at the fat and sugar content. Since attending the Nutrition Facts Education event, I have began looking at the labels and changing our eating choices to more healthier foods. We are reducing the products we buy that are high in sodium and sugars.
Do you look at the table on your food products? Do you compare similar foods and choose the healthier one?
Mama Bear’s Haven is a Canadian lifestyle blog created by Tammy Bell in 2012. She loves cold brew tea, chocolate and taking pictures of nature.There's recipes, parenting tips and crafts.
