In an era where diet-related chronic diseases are increasingly prevalent, understanding food labels and symbols is more critical than ever. This article delves into the meaning of healthy food symbols, exploring their evolution, current usage, and impact on consumer choices.
The Evolution of Healthy Food Guidance
The concept of guiding the public towards healthier eating habits has evolved significantly over the decades. Early efforts, like the food pyramid, aimed to simplify nutritional recommendations.
The Original Food Pyramid
The first food pyramid emerged in Sweden in 1974, driven by the need to identify affordable and nutritious "basic foods." This pyramid, created by Anna-Britt Agnsäter, featured essential items like milk, cheese, bread, and potatoes at its base, with fruits and vegetables in the middle, and meat, fish, and eggs at the apex.
USDA's Food Guide Pyramid and MyPyramid
In 1992, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) introduced its "Food Guide Pyramid," later updated in 2005 and renamed "MyPyramid." This iteration used horizontal sections to represent food groups, later replaced by vertical wedges in MyPyramid.
MyPlate: A Modern Approach
In June 2011, the USDA launched MyPlate, the current nutrition guide. MyPlate uses a plate divided into four sections: fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein, with dairy represented as a drink alongside the plate. MyPlate serves as a visual reminder to incorporate a variety of foods into daily meals. MyPlate’s symbol is a simple visual reminder to choose a variety of foods throughout the day and throughout the week. It represents what and how much to eat from each of the food groups over the course of the day, whether you eat on a plate, from a bowl, or another way.
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Understanding Food Labels
Navigating food labels effectively is essential for making informed dietary choices. Food labels, mandated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), provide crucial information about a product's nutritional content.
Key Components of a Food Label
- Serving Size: Indicates the amount of food a typical person would consume in one sitting. Serving sizes are standardized to make it easier to compare similar foods; they are provided in familiar units, such as cups or pieces, followed by the metric amount, e.g., the number of grams (g).
- Calories: Measures the energy derived from a single serving of food.
- Nutrients: Lists the quantity of fats, sodium, carbohydrates, and protein in a serving.
- Percent Daily Value (%DV): Compares the nutrient content of a serving to the recommended daily value, helping consumers assess whether a serving is high or low in a specific nutrient.
- Footnote: Explains that the % Daily Value (DV) is based on diet of 2,000 calories a day.
Decoding Nutrient Claims
Food labels often include specific claims about a product's nutritional attributes. Here's a breakdown of common terms:
- Free: Means that a product does not have any of the named nutrient or has so little that it’s unlikely to make any difference to your body.
- High: Indicates that the food contains 20% or more of the Daily Value of a certain nutrient per serving.
- Good Source: Means that 1 serving of a food contains 10% or more of the Daily Value for a certain nutrient.
- Reduced: Means that a food, whether altered or not, contains 25% less of a nutrient or calories than another food.
- Light: Can mean fewer calories, lower fat, or reduced sodium.
Navigating the %DV
The % Daily Value (%DV) is the percentage of the Daily Value for each nutrient in a serving of the food. The Daily Values are reference amounts (expressed in grams, milligrams, or micrograms) of nutrients to consume or not to exceed each day.
A general guide to %DV is:
- 5% DV or less of a nutrient per serving is considered low
- 20% DV or more of a nutrient per serving is considered high
More often, choose foods that are:
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- Higher in %DV for Dietary Fiber, Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, and Potassium
- Lower in %DV for Saturated Fat, Sodium, and Added Sugars
Nutrients Without a %DV
Trans fats and total sugars do not list a %DV on the Nutrition Facts label. Protein only lists a %DV in specific situations.
The "Healthy" Claim: A Closer Look
Claims like “healthy” on food labels can help consumers identify healthier food choices at a quick glance. The updated criteria for the claim replace outdated criteria for “healthy” with criteria that are consistent with current nutrition science and Federal dietary guidance.
Updated "Healthy" Claim
The FDA announced on December 19, 2024, a final rule to update the “healthy” claim that manufacturers can voluntarily use on food packages. Under the updated ”healthy” claim, nutrient-dense foods that are encouraged by the Dietary Guidelines - vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy, lean game meat, seafood, eggs, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, and seeds - with no added ingredients except for water, automatically qualify for the “healthy” claim because of their nutrient profile and positive contribution to an overall healthy diet. These include many varieties of these foods that fit into a range of budgets, for example, fruits, vegetables, and fish that are either fresh, frozen, or canned. Foods must meet specific criteria to use the “healthy” nutrient content claim. Dietary guidelines include a focus on the importance of healthy dietary patterns and the food groups that comprise them, the type of fat in the diet rather than the total amount of fat consumed, and the amount of sodium and added sugars in the diet. Under the updated claim, foods such as water, avocados, nuts and seeds, higher fat fish, such as salmon, and olive oil will now qualify to use the “healthy” claim.
Previous Definition
The previous definition had limits for total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium and to qualify, foods also had to provide at least 10% of the Daily Value (DV) for one or more of the following nutrients: vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, protein, and fiber.
Ongoing Development of a "Healthy" Symbol
On a separate but related track, the FDA is also continuing to explore development of a symbol that manufacturers could use on food labeling to show that a product meets the definition of “healthy.” Having a standardized graphic to show that a food meets the criteria for the “healthy” claim would further support the FDA’s goal of helping consumers to identify food products that can be the foundation of healthy eating patterns. The FDA issued two procedural notices for public comment when seeking Office of Management and Budget approval for the “healthy” symbol’s preliminary quantitative consumer research. The first notice was issued in May 2021 and the second notice was issued in March 2022, and the FDA’s research was approved.
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The Role of Vegetables, Fruits, and Grains
Vegetables, fruits, and grains form the foundation of a healthy diet.
Vegetables
A vegetable is a part of a plant consumed by humans that is generally savory but is not sweet. A vegetable is not considered a grain, fruit, nut, spice, or herb. Vegetables contain many vitamins and minerals; however, different vegetables contain different balances of micronutrients, so it is important to eat a wide variety of types. For example, orange and dark green vegetables typically contain vitamin A, dark green vegetables contain vitamin C, and vegetables like broccoli and related plants contain iron and calcium.
Fruits
Fruits are low in calories and fat and are a source of natural sugars, fiber and vitamins. Processing fruit when canning or making into juices may add sugars and remove nutrients. The fruit food group is sometimes combined with the vegetable food group.
Grains
These foods provide complex carbohydrates, which are the body's primary source of energy and provide quality nutrition in any case. Grains, when digested, break down into glucose, the body's preferred energy source.
Dairy and Meat: Balancing Benefits and Risks
Dairy products and meat are significant sources of nutrients but require mindful consumption.
Dairy
Dairy products are produced from the milk of animals, usually but not exclusively cattle. Milk and its derivative products are a rich source of dietary calcium and also provide protein, phosphorus, vitamin A, and vitamin D.
Meat
Meat is the tissue-usually muscle-of an animal consumed by humans. Meat is a major source of protein, as well as iron, zinc, and vitamin B12.
Fats and Sweets: Moderation is Key
Fats and sweets should be consumed sparingly, as they provide calories without substantial nutritional value. The foods at the top of the food pyramid should be eaten sparingly because they provide calories, but not much in the way of nutrition. These foods include salad dressings, oils, cream, butter, margarine, sugars, soft drinks, candies, and sweet desserts.
The Influence of Food Industries
Food industries, such as milk companies, have been accused of influencing the United States Department of Agriculture into making the colored spots on the newly created food pyramid larger for their particular product. Several researchers have said that food and agricultural associations exert undue political power on the USDA.