Nutrient Claims Reference Chart - Helping You Choose Healthy Foods

 

Learning about nutrient claims can be overwhelming with all the definitions.  

 

The table below covers several of the most common nutrient claims found on food packaging. It might be worthwhile to print out the list for the next time you go to the grocery store. Plan your trip to the store when you have time to read labels and compare brands. The first couple of times you go shopping will probably take a bit longer as you compare labels and look at the definitions of each claim. Take your child along and encourage him or her to compare foods and decide what product is the best choice.

 

Common terms found on food packaging*:

Nutrient Claim	means…
Calorie free	less than 5 calories per serving
Low calorie	40 calories or less per serving
Fat free	Less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving
Low fat	3 grams or less of total fat
Low saturated fat	1 gram or less saturated fat per serving
Saturated fat free	Less than 0.5 g of saturated fat perserving and the amount of trans fatty acids does not exceed 1% of the total fat
Reduced fat Less fat	At least 25% less fat than the regular version
Sugar free	Less than 0.5 g of sugar per serving
Reduced sugar	At least 25% less sugar per serving than the regular version
High fiber	5g or more fiber per serving
Good source of fiber	2.5 g to 4.9 g of fiber per serving
Cholesterol free	Less than 2 mg per serving
Low cholesterol	20 mg or less per serving
Reduced cholesterol Less cholesterol	At least 25% less cholesterol per serving than the regular version
Sodium free Salt free	Less than 5 mg of sodium per serving
Low sodium	140 mg of sodium or less
Reduced sodium Less sodium	At least 25% less sodium per serving than the regular version
Good Source of… Contains… Provides…	these terms mean that one serving of a food contains 10-19% of the Daily Value
Excellent Source of… High in… Rich in…	these terms mean that one serving of a food contains 20% or more of the Daily Value
Lean Meat, poultry, seafood and game meat with less than 10 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, and 95 mg cholesterol per serving.
Extra lean  Meat, poultry, seafood and game meat with less than 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, and 95 mg cholesterol per serving.
Lite or Light This can mean two things. The product can have 50% less fat than the higher fat version or the product contains 1/3 fewer calories. For example Dreyer’s vanilla ice cream contains 150 calories per ½ cup serving and 10 grams of fat. The Dreyer’s light ice cream contains 100 calories per ½ cup serving and 3.5 grams of fat.  The term “light” can also refer to the texture and color as long as the label explains it. For example, “light brown sugar” or “light olive oil.”
Reduced in… This claim means that the product contains at least 25% less of a nutrient than the regular version. For example, Nabisco’s Original Oreo cookies contain 160 calories and 7 grams of fat per serving. The reduced fat version contains 150 calories and 4.5 grams of fat. Other words for “reduced in” include “lower in” and “fewer.”

 

The field of nutrition is continuously changing as we learn more and more. These nutrient claims are

Lastly, don’t get too caught up on the nutrient claims. Remember that these claims give a general idea of a food’s nutrient content. Always refer to the Nutrition Facts Label for the exact amount of nutrients and calories in a product.