- Calcium — a mineral needed by the body for, among other things,
to maintain bone health; good sources of calcium in foods include dairy
products, such as fat free or low fat milk, yogurt, and cheeses.
- Calories — on the Nutrition Facts label are the measure (amount) of energy in a serving of food. For
example, there are about 110 calories in 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) of orange juice.
- Dietary Fiber — the non-digestible carbohydrates of foods found in foods such as
whole grain products, fruits, vegetables, and legumes (such as dry beans and
peas) that may promote regularity and as part of a healthy diet may decrease
your risk for some diseases.
- Dietary Guidelines for
Americans 2005 — the Federal
government's most recent science-based advice to promote health and reduce risk
of chronic diseases through nutrition and physical
activity.
- DVs (Daily Values) — reference points for intakes determined by public
health experts and based on a 2000 Calorie diet. These values are found in the
footnote of the Nutrition Facts label and do not change from product to
product.
- %DVs (Percent Daily
Values) — are the percentage of the
daily values found in a specific serving of a food and based on the Daily Value
recommendations for key nutrients, and for a 2000 calorie diet. %DVs help you determine if a serving of food is high or low in a
nutrient. Also, %DVs make it easier to compare the amount of nutrients
in a food and know which nutrients contribute a lot or little to your daily
recommended allowance.
- General Guide to Calories
— a general reference for calories
in a single serving of food; it is based on a 2000 calorie diet. 40 Calories or
less is low, 100 calories is moderate and 400 calories is high.
- Healthy Diet — a diet that emphasizes a variety of fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free and low-fat milk products; includes lean meats,
poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; is low in saturated and trans fats,
cholesterol*, salt (sodium), and added sugars; and stays within your daily calorie
needs for your recommended weight. (Based on the Dietary Guidelines for
Americans 2005)
- Healthy Weight —
is a body weight that is appropriate for your height and benefits your health. One tool to help you determine if you are underweight, at a healthy weight, overweight, or obese is the Body Mass Index or BMI. The BMI is a measure of weight for height for adults over 20 years old. To find out if your weight is in the healthy range, use the
BMI chart, which is referenced in the US Dietary Guidelines for
Americans.
- Household Measure — a measurement of food in terms of cup, tablespoon, teaspoon, piece, slice, fraction
(such as "1/4 pizza"), etc.
- Low-calorie — a specific nutrient content claim about a food for
which the calories are 40 calories or less per serving.
- Nutrient — a substance in food that contributes to growth and
health; examples are protein and calcium.
- Nutrition Facts label — the part of the food label that gives the serving
size, servings per container, calories per serving and information on
some nutrients.
- Quick Guide to %DV — is a rule of thumb, that is, 5%DV or less is low and 20%DV or more is high. The Quick Guide to %DV helps you determine if a serving
of food is high or low in a nutrient and is based on a 2000 calorie diet.
- Saturated fat — a type of fat that may increase your LDL (bad)
cholesterol levels, which may increase your risk of heart disease. They come
primarily from animal products such as meat and dairy products; in general, saturated
fats are solid at room temperature. Coconut and palm oil
(palm kernel or palm oil) also contain a significant amount of saturated fat.
- Serving size — a standardized amount of a food, such as a cup or an
ounce, used in comparing similar foods. Serving sizes are stated on the food label.
Serving size
on the food label is listed as a common household measure followed by the
equivalent metric quantity in parenthesis, for example, "1/2 cup (112 g)."
- Servings per container — is listed on the Nutrition Facts label directly below
the serving size. "Servings per container" is the total number of servings in
a food package based on the serving size.
- Sodium — A component of salt (sodium chloride); excess
sodium intake can increase your risk for high blood pressure. A potassium
rich diet can counteract some of sodium's effects on blood pressure.
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