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Making the most of your food dollars is more than just getting more food for less money. It is also about improving your health! You can use your food dollars to purchase nutritious foods and create a healthy eating pattern. Getting the most nutrition for your money is your best buy!
Follow these tips:
1. Read the Nutrition Facts label (A-F)
A. Start by looking at the total servings per container. In this example there are 8 total servings. A single serving = 2/3 cup.
B. The rest of the label is based on a single serving. Look at the total calories per serving. In this example, there are 230 calories in each 2/3 cup serving.
C. Limit the saturated and trans fats. Learn the difference between the different types of fats.
D. Get enough of the nutrients highlighted in blue.
E. The footnote gives more information about the Percent Daily Value.
F. Remember this quick guide to Percent Daily Value: 5% or less is LOW and 20% or more is HIGH.
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Use these Nutrition Facts labels to compare food choices.
This example shows two soup options, regular and reduced sodium.
Looking at the Nutrition Facts labels, first, we check that the serving sizes are the same (they are). Then we see that the reduced-sodium soup has about half as much sodium as the regular soup.
The reduced-sodium soup is the healthier choice!
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2. Then look at the ingredients list
Ingredients are listed by how much of an item is in the food, from the largest to the smallest amount.
In general, a shorter list is better than a longer list. Avoid added sugar and salt when possible.
Compare the ingredients of these two jars of peanut butter. Notice the one on the left has two ingredients. The jar on the right has more ingredients, and sugar is the second one. Molasses is third on the list. The peanut butter on the left is a much better choice. Plus it may also be a WIC approved food!
3. Choose a variety of whole foods
These are usually along the outer walls of the store. Produce, Dairy, Meats, and Fish. Whole foods have no additives, artificial colors/flavors, or preservatives. Whole foods are minimally processed.
Examples of whole foods are whole grains, nuts, seeds, eggs, beans, peas, fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, and milk.
Deeper Dive
Finding added sugars in foods can be a challenge. This is because sugar comes in many forms and has many names. Learn more about how to recognize added sugars.
Percent Daily Value (DV) on the Nutrition Facts label is a guide to the nutrients in one serving of food. For example, if the label lists 20% for calcium, it means that one serving provides 20% of the calcium you need each day.
Whole nuts and seeds are a choking hazard and should not be given to children under 4. Finely minced is OK to give.