How to Read a Nutrition Label
Check out the nutrition label on the side of your Minute® Rice box. It’s a standardized label mandated by Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA), which was made into law by the United States Congress in 1990. The law requires food manufacturers to put nutrition labels on almost all processed foods regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Why? Very simple – it’s all about helping YOU. Reading labels empowers you to make good decisions about the food you eat. At the time of its passage, the NLEA was projected to reduce the risks of heart disease and cancer with a potential cost benefit of $4 to $26 billion to taxpayers!
Let’s look at an example. This label is from Minute Rice Brown Rice.
How to quickly read a nutrition label:
- Determine the serving size
- How many calories are in each serving?
- Limit your intake of sodium, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol
- Get enough fiber, vitamins, calcium and iron