Blog

“Nutrition Facts” labels, required to be clearly displayed on most packaged foods sold in the United States, are a familiar sight for many American consumers. But in June of 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed key changes to these labels in an effort to help people make healthier food choices.

We wanted to know how much parents use food labels when shopping – and how moms and dads might use the information on nutrition labels differently. In the latest NPCH Report, 4 out of 10 moms say they “very often” or “always” read nutrition labels when buying food. Among dads, 35% say they “very often” or “always” read nutrition labels. However, 16% of dads said they never read nutrition labels, compared to 10% of moms.

We also asked moms and dads to rate the importance of several nutrients in foods and drinks as they display on nutrition labels. Sugars topped the list of nutrients parents consider, but mothers are more likely than fathers to say total sugar, added sugar, protein, and dietary fiber are “very important.” Read the full report - Nutrition Facts: How moms and dads view labels differently.

View full size image | See other health infographics

Susan J. Woolford, M.D., M.P.H. – NPCH faculty collaborator and medical director of the Pediatric Comprehensive Weight Management Center at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital—discusses these results in this short video:

What do you think?:

Do you use nutrition labels when grocery shopping? What nutritional information matters most to you? Share your thoughts with us on Twitter!