Did you catch a glimpse of our visit to the Vancouver Home + Design Show last weekend on Facebook or Instagram? We had lots of fun, but wow, was it ever busy! We wandered up and down the aisles checking out the booths, collecting samples, entering all the draws, and basically trying not to lose the kids in the crowd. When we spotted giant cookies and the big Play & Win! sign at the Nutrition Facts Education Campaign (NFEC) booth, we all went over to check it out.
I was really happy to see this booth at the Home + Design Show because my family’s well being comes first in every decision I make. I take that responsibility seriously, and I believe that one of the most important things I can do for them is to provide them with healthy food choices. I do that by prioritizing fresh, unprocessed foods and home cooked meals, and when I use packaged foods, by using the Nutrition Facts table to make informed, healthy food choices.
I think it’s so important to teach kids early on how to make wise food decisions, which is why I brought Tee with me to an NFEC event last spring. That’s where she was first introduced to reading the Nutrition Facts table. Since then, she’s kept in practice when we go shopping so she was eager to try her hand at reading sample tables for the Nutrition FACT-O game last weekend.
Trevor was one of the friendly folks manning the booth that day. He showed us some sample foods and asked Tee to compare them. Which crackers had more iron? Which canned peaches had the least sugar? Which burger patties had the least sodium? She needed a little help comparing the serving sizes, but did well enough to earn herself some Focus on the Facts tokens.
Tee took her tokens over to the giant Focus on the Facts PLINKO board and dropped them in for chances to win a grocery card and other swag. Tee was nice enough to share her tokens with her little sister who thought this part of the game was very cool. We didn’t win the grocery card, but each of the girls did score a cloth bag to carry all their samples around in.
3 Steps to Making Informed Food Choices
Now Tee knows that all the information we need to make informed food choices is right there on the label. When we’re grocery shopping, we can compare the Nutrition Facts tables on two or more products to pick the item with the best nutritional profile.
Follow these three easy steps to pick the foods that best suit your family’s needs:
- Step 1: Start with the serving size to make sure you’re comparing equal amounts.
- Step 2: Use the % Daily Value to determine how much of a nutrient is in each serving. A simple rule of thumb is that less than 5% DV is considered a little, more than 15% DV is a lot.
- Step 3: Compare the nutrients to find your best choice. Look for foods high in protein, fiber, vitamin A, calcium, and iron, and foods low in sugar, sodium, and trans fats.
Win a $100 Grocery Card!
I’ve got a fun giveaway for a $100 grocery card for my Canadian readers. Here’s your chance to practice reading the Nutrition Facts table with some free groceries! Enter in the giveaway widget below. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada only, 18+. All entries will be verified.
And here’s one more chance. Learn more about reading Nutrition Facts, then visit Focus on the Facts for a chance to win a $300 grocery card!
Click here to check out my other open giveaways and be sure to follow me on Facebook!
Disclosure: This conversation was sponsored by Food & Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC), Health Canada, Retail Council of Canada (RCC), and the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG). Nevertheless, all opinions expressed are completely honest and my own, based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ.
I check out the Cholesterol levels!
I always look for the amount of fat, sodium, and sugars in each product that I buy
I always check for fat content, sugar, sodium and cholesterol.
I look for sugar, fat, sodium and fiber when buying new products.
When i look at the Nutrition Facts Table i pay the most attention to sodium and fats
I most pay attention to the sugar content and whether the sugar is added
I look at the sodium and sugar contents right away.
When i look at the Nutrition Facts Table I pay most attention to the amount of sodium, fat and sugars.
I do pay attention a lot to it because I have to watch sugars and fat so I am always checking them out before buying the product.
I always check for sodium levels and sugar levels. Heart problems run in the family and my father is mildly diabetic.
Honestly – I do not pay attention to the labels. At my age I really should start looking at the Fat and Sugars.
I try and do a “big picture” look – nothing in particular but I want to be sure I know what’s in it.
I look at the sugar, fat and carb content on food labels.
I pay attention to sodium and sugar amounts
When shopping I always look at the calories per serving and the Trans fats and depending on what I am buying I check out the fiber too
I pay most attention to the sugar and sodium contents.
I probably pay the most attention to fat, sodium, sugar & cholesterol.
It’s usually fat and sodium for me, but I pay even more attention to the list of ingredients.
I pay attention to the fat content and calorie content.
I tend to look at calories, fat, sugar, and sodium contents. Trying to eat less processed foods as well. Thanks for the information and the chance to win!
I always look at the sugar and sodium contents.
I like to look at all but..I look at the Sugar and the Fat content mostly.
I always check the actual ingredients and I pay close attention to the fat and sugar levels
sodium, sugar and trans fat
I mostly pay attention to sugar the root of all evil.
The information I read most on labels when I am checking out my food is the carbohydrates and the serving size. After that I will check out the fibre and the fat.
I most pay attention to the sugar content/
Sodium and calories are the top of my radar
I used to be most concerned with sugar when my kids were small.Now,with hypertension I look for sodium content.
I look at the entire label and pay extra attention equally to sugar, sodium, and fibre. Thanks.
I always check the sugar, fat, and carbohydrate content on the label.
I pay most attention to the fiber.
Because I am a diabetic, I have to look at the carbohydrate content. Thank you for the chance.
I pay attention to sodium and sugar content.
I look at carbs and sugar content first. And then I look at the list of ingredients to make sure there’s actual food in the product :-0
I pay attention to the fiber, fat and sugar content. Having a diabetic in the family makes these nutrients important to check.
I tend to pay the most attention to Carbs and Protein – my fiance is always trying to get more protein (and I KNOW I am not getting nearly enough!), and better carbs in.
I try to look at the fat, sodium and sugar levels.
Due to health conditions o f my husband and I we always look at the amount of sugars and sodium in our products.
Things I look for on the nutrition table are fibre, calories, fat and protein
I look at all the nutritional facts – such as, calories, fats, sugar, cholesterol, etc. Looking at all is important!
I pay attention to fat content and makeup, calories and makeup, protein, fibre, sugar content and vitamins. I like to know what my family is eating.
I always look for the sugar and salt content when reading the nutrition table.
For me and my family, it’s sugar. I have hypoglycemia and need to watch my intake. Salt is a close second.
Besos Sarah
Journeys of The Zoo
I always look at the Sodium and the Sugar that is listed when buying products for my family.
I always pay attention to the carbs and sugars when buying for my family! It usually makes me try to make it myself!
I look for sugar amounts and if the sugar is real or a substitute.
i check for sodium amount and try to get the lower sodium option
I pay the most attention to sodium, sugar, fat, & carbohydrate content when buying food for my family.
I look mostly at fats to avoid them and iron to get it!