The Importance of Reading and Understanding Food and Beverage Labels for Seniors in Miami Dade

Posted by Scott Cantin in Senior Care, Senior Health | 0 comments

When shopping at the grocery store, the one common thing in all packages is the nutritional label on the back. Their goal is to help you make an informed decision about what you’re consuming. Nutritional facts are particularly helpful for older adults because they have different nutritional needs than young people. At Advancare, we recommend reading these labels when buying food for seniors. We have also trained our caregivers to read these labels to ensure the seniors under our care eat healthy foods.

What Information Will You Find on the Food Label?

Manufactured foods carry labels containing nutrition and safety information. This information helps you know more about the food you’re buying so you can stick to a healthy diet. The label will have information on the following:

• The name of the product and brand
• Included ingredients
• Nutritional information (amount of fat, energy, sugars, protein, salt, etc.)
• Serving instructions
• Best before or use-by dates
• Percentage labeling
• Weight
• Allergy information
• Directions for use and storage

Understanding Food and Beverage Product Dates

You’ll find three types of dates printed on foods and beverages. They include the following:

• ‘Best if used before’ or ‘Best if used by’: This tells you how long the food will maintain the best quality or flavor.
• Use by: Tells you how long the item will remain at peak quality. Once that date passes, the product will be less tasty or stale.
• Sell by: This is more for retailers. The manufacturer suggests the day the item should have been sold. Ensure you buy your items before this date, as the quality is still fresh.

Unfortunately, these dates don’t exactly mention when a product is no longer safe to consume.

Understanding Nutritional Facts Labels

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food and beverage companies to put a Nutrition Facts Label on packaged products. At the top, there is the serving size. This is the amount of food a person can eat at one time. However, it isn’t a recommendation of how much you should eat. You can eat more or less. The guidelines are to help you understand how much you need for a balanced diet.

Interpreting the Percent Daily Value (% DV)

The percent daily value (%DV) shows how many nutrients in every serving contribute to your total daily diet. A normal adult, including seniors, requires about 2000 calories a day, but it can be more or less, depending on lifestyle.

Any food with 5%DV or less is considered to have fewer nutrients, and food with 20% DV is considered to have too many nutrients.

How to Read the Ingredient List

The ingredients contained in food and beverages are listed on the Nutrition Facts label. Each ingredient is listed with how much it weighs, with the heavier listed first. Watch out for foods with added sugar, especially when buying foods for senior adults. Artificial sweeteners like aspartame, corn sweetener, saccharin, and sucralose should be taken in moderation.

While the FDA regulates some of these terms and descriptions, some aren’t regulated. Check the nutrition label carefully to ensure a product matches your eating goals.

Need Help Ensuring a Senior Adult Is Eating Healthy?

Do you need caregiving services to ensure you or a loved one is eating healthy? Advancare can help. Our caregivers know how to read food and beverage labels to ensure seniors only eat healthy meals.Contact us to learn more.