This document provides information about nutrients and how to understand food labels. It discusses the essential nutrients people need including vitamins, minerals, fat, carbohydrates and protein. It explains what nutrient deficiencies and toxicities are and examples of each. The document also reviews how to read a food label and understand key terms like serving size, calories, vitamins/minerals, percent daily value and ingredients list. Students are instructed on analyzing a food label using these concepts to determine if a food is healthy or not.

1. Knowing what your eating and getting what you
need.

2.  Today’s lesson is to help you guys understand…
◦ What nutrients you need!
◦ How to find those nutrients!
◦ What happens if you don’t get those nutrients!

4. Nutrient Daily Unit of
Measure
Total Fat 65 Grams (g)
Sodium 300 Milligrams
(mg)
Potassium 3500 Milligrams
(mg)
Total
Carbohydr
ates
300 Grams (g)
Fiber 25 Grams (g)
Protein 50 Grams (g)
Vitamin A 5000 Internatio
nal Unit
(IU)
Nutrient Daily Unit of
Measure
Vitamin C 60 Milligrams
(mg)
Calcium 60 Milligrams
(mg)
Iron 18 Milligrams
(mg)
Vitamin D 400 International
Unit (IU)
Vitamin E 30 International
Unit (IU)
Vitamin K 80 Micrograms
(µg)
Biotin 300 Micrograms
(µg)

5. What happens if I don’t get
the right amount of nutrients?

6.  Deficiency- When you don’t have enough of
a nutrient in your body.
 Toxicity- When you have too much of a
nutrient in your body.

7. Deficiency Symptoms
oNight blindness is one of
the first signs of vitamin A
deficiency.
oSoftening of Skull
oBone Pain
oHair Loss
oDizziness
oNausea
Important For
oEye sight
oBone Development
oHealthy Skin

8. Deficiency Symptoms
oSCURVY- Spots on the
skin, spongy bleeding gums.
Advanced scurvy may have
open sores on the skin and
cause teeth to fall out.
Toxicity Symptoms
oNausea and Diarrhea
Important For
oAmino Acid formation
oHealing
oImmune System
oIron absorption

9. Deficiency Symptoms
oOsteoporosis- Weak brittle
bones.
oMuscle Cramps
oOsteomalacia- Soft bones.
Toxicity Symptoms
oCalcium will start to deposit in
your soft tissue causing it to
harden
Important For
oHealthy bones and
teeth.
oMuscle functioning
oBlood clotting

10. Deficiency Symptoms
oFatigue
oHair loss
oBrittle nails
Toxicity Symptoms
oNausea
oVomiting
oLiver Failure
Important For
oHelps the blood carry
Oxygen to the body
oHelps your body
produce energy
oHelps Immune
system

11. Deficiency Symptoms
oConstipation
oHigh cholesterol
Toxicity Symptoms
oDehydration
oOther deficiencies
Important For
oHelps bowel
movements
oHelps lower
cholesterol

12. Nutrient Daily Unit of
Measure
Total Fat 65 Grams (g)
Sodium 300 Milligrams
(mg)
Potassium 3500 Milligrams
(mg)
Total
Carbohydr
ates
300 Grams (g)
Fiber 25 Grams (g)
Protein 50 Grams (g)
Vitamin A 5000 Internatio
nal Unit
(IU)
Nutrient Daily Unit of
Measure
Vitamin C 60 Milligrams
(mg)
Calcium 60 Milligrams
(mg)
Iron 18 Milligrams
(mg)
Vitamin D 400 International
Unit (IU)
Vitamin E 30 International
Unit (IU)
Vitamin K 80 Micrograms
(µg)
Biotin 300 Micrograms
(µg)

13. How do I keep track of all
those nutrients?

14. 1. Serving size
Serving size tells you
how much of a food is
equal to one serving
this is so you know
how much a nutrient
you consumed. In this
case one serving is 1
cup.
Questions
1. If I bad two cups of this
food how many servings
did I have?

15. 2. Calories
This section shows you
how many calories are
in a serving.
It also shows you how
many calories come
from fat.
40 low
100 moderate
400 high
Questions
1. What would I do if I wanted
to know what percentage of
the calories came from fat?

16. 2. Limit
This section shows you
what nutrients to limit in
your diet.
Total Fat
Saturated Fat
Trans Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Questions
1. If I had 3 servings how
many grams of total fat did
I eat?

18. 4. Need
A list of the vitamins and
minerals in each serving.
This helps you find
nutrient-dense foods.
Most Americans don’t
get enough Vitamin A, C,
Calcium, Iron, or Fiber.
Questions
1. Would you consider this
food nutrient dense?

19. 5. Footnote
This section is the same in
every product and every
food. It gives advice on
how many nutrients you
should consume each
day.
Less than means limit
Blank means at least
Questions
1. How many grams of Total
carbohydrates should we
get per day?
2. What percentage of that
can we get from one
serving of this food?

20. 6. Percent Daily
Value
This tells you what
percentage of your daily
Nutrient needs you are
getting in each serving. These
Percentages are based on
your RDA.
Questions
1. If I ate 2 servings of this
what percentage of Vitamin
A would I be getting? Total
fat? Sodium?

21.  Ingredients-gives you a running list of which
items went into making the food you are about to
eat. Ingredients are listed in order according to
how much of the ingredient the food contains or
the weight of the food. An important thing to
remember is, if you can not pronounce an
ingredient listed, then you should probably avoid
it!

22. Stay away from empty calories!
Make your foods nutrient dense!
Read the food labels!
Eat foods that don’t require a food label!

23. 1. How many servings are in a
container?
2. What is the serving size?
3. How many grams of fiber is
in 2 bars?
4. How many grams of sugar is
in 3 bars?
5. What ingredient is found in
the greatest quantity?

24. 1. Get a worksheet
2. Get a food label
3. Color Code your food
label
4. Answer the questions
about your food label
5. Keep your assignment
on your desk so we
can correct it.

26. 1. What is the difference between a deficiency and toxicity?
2. How do you figure out the percentage of calories that come from fat
in a food?
3. For TOTAL CALORIES what is low? What is moderate? What is
High?
4. What are examples of nutrients you should limit?
5. What are examples of nutrients that are good for you?
6. What Percentage of your daily allowance is low? High?
7. What is significant about the order of the items in the ingredients list?

27. 1. What food are you analyzing? Write it on the top of your paper
2. Do you predict this food will be healthy or unhealthy?
3. Answer the following questions…
1. What is the serving size?
2. How many calories are in one serving?
3. What percentage of the calories are from fat? Is this high
or low? (fat calories divided by calories)
4. What %DV is there for sodium? Is this high or low?
5. How much saturated fat is there?
6. Is this food high in any vitamins or minerals?
7. Would you consider this food to be nutrient-dense?
8. Would you consider this food to be healthy or unhealthy?