A Short Cut At The Supermarket
When you're in a hurry at the supermarket and you don't have time to compare "% Daily Values," you can still get some quick information from the company's claims on the label.
The key is knowing what terms like "free" and "low" mean. The government has set strict definitions for terms that can be used to describe a food's nutritional content. Use the following guide to help you decipher nutrient claims.
| Guide to Nutrient Content Claims | |
| Term | Definition |
| Free | The product has none of the nutrient or an insignificant amount. What you'll see: Calorie Free, Sugar Free, Sodium Free, Salt Free, Fat Free, Saturated Fat Free, Cholesterol Free. |
| Low | The product has a small enough amount of a nutrient that you can eat it frequently without concern that you'll go over the recommendations. What you'll see: Low Sodium (no more than 140 mg sodium per serving); Low Calorie (no more than 40 calories per serving); Low Fat (no more than 3 grams fat per serving); Low Saturated Fat (no more than 1 gram saturated fat per serving); Low Cholesterol (no more than 20 milligrams cholesterol per serving). |
| Very Low | Used only with sodium claims. The product contains no more than 35 milligrams sodium per serving. |
|
Reduced, Fewer, Less |
The product has at least a 25 percent reduction in a nutrient compared to the regular product. What you'll see: Reduced Calories, Fewer Calories, Less Sugar, Less Fat, Reduced in Fat, Less Saturated Fat, Cholesterol Reduced. |
| Lean | Refers to meat, poultry, seafood or game meats with less than 5 grams fat, less than 4 grams saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams cholesterol per serving and per 100 grams. |
| Extra Lean | Refers to meat, poultry, seafood or game meats with lee than 5 grams fat, less than 2 grams saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams cholesterol per serving and per 100 grams. |
| High | The product has at least 20 percent of the Daily Value for the nutrient. What you'll see: High in Calcium, High in Vitamin C. |
| More | A product has at least 10 percent more of a desirable nutrient than does a comparable product. What you'll see: More Calcium, More Potassium. |
| Light | A product has 1/3 fewer calories than a comparable product or 50 percent of the fat found in a comparable product. |
| Good Source | A product has 10 to 19 percent of the Daily Value for a nutrient. What you'll see: Good Source of Fiber. |
