Name

Definition

Calorie

The energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water through 1 °C, equal to one thousand small calories and often used to measure the energy value of foods.

Carbohydrate

Any of a large group of organic compounds occurring in foods and living tissues and including sugars, starch, and cellulose. They contain hydrogen and oxygen in the same ratio as water (2:1) and typically can be broken down to release energy in the animal body.

Cholesterol

Vital for building hormones and cell membranes. Your body makes most of the cholesterol it needs. Cholesterol is listed under the fat information on a nutrition label. 

Daily Value

This shows the percentage of a certain nutrient in a food, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. The daily value gives you an idea of a food’s nutrient contribution to your diet; 8% is generally considered to be good.

Diet

The kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats. A special course of food to which one restricts oneself, either to lose weight or for medical reasons.

Dietary Fiber

The part of plant foods that we cannot digest. Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds contain fiber. Fiber helps fill you up, can help lower cholesterol, and keeps you regular.

Enriched

Enriched foods have nutrients added to them to replace those lost during food processing. B vitamins, for example, are lost when wheat is processed into white flour, so these nutrients are later added back.

Fiber

Dietary material containing substances such as cellulose, lignin, and pectin, that are resistant to the action of digestive enzymes.

Food

Any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink or that plants absorb in order to maintain life and growth.

Fortified

Fortified foods have nutrients added to them that weren’t there originally. Milk, for example, is fortified with vitamin D, a nutrient that helps you absorb milk’s calcium.

Glucose

A simple sugar which is an important energy source in living organisms and is a component of many carbohydrates.

GMO

Genetically Modified Organism. A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

A sweetener that is often used instead of sugar in food manufacturing.

Hydrogenated

Hydrogenation turns a liquid fat such as vegetable oil into a semi-solid, more shelf-stable fat, such as margarine. Most oils are only partially hydrogenated, which creates harmful trans fats that can raise cholesterol.

Lecithin

Added to chocolates, baking products, and cosmetics, lecithin is used as a thinner, a preservative, or an emulsifier. Egg yolks, soybeans, fish, and other foods naturally contain lecithin.

Minerals

An inorganic substance needed by the human body for good health.

Modified Food Starch

Extracted from corn, potato, wheat, and other starches, modified food starch is used as a thickener, stabilizer, or fat replacer in foods like dessert mixes, dressings, and confections.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

Used as a flavor enhancer, MSG is like salt.

Monounsaturated Fat

A healthy fat found in foods such as nuts, olive oil, and avocados. When used to replace saturated fats, a diet high in monounsaturated fats can help lower bad cholesterol.

Nutrition

The process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth.

Organic

(of food or farming methods) produced or involving production without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial agents.

Polyunsaturated Fat

Essential for life, potassium helps maintain normal blood pressure and keeps your heart and kidneys working normally.

Protein

Any of a class of nitrogenous organic compounds that consist of large molecules composed of one or more long chains of amino acids and are an essential part of all living organisms, especially as structural components of body tissues such as muscle, hair, collagen, etc., and as enzymes and antibodies.

Saturated Fat

Usually solid at room temperature, saturated fats are found in animal products such as meat and milk, as well as in coconut and palm oil. Saturated fat is often used in foods to prevent rancidity and off-flavors.

Serving Size

This section of a nutrition label helps you determine the number of calories and the amount of each nutrient in a recommended serving of food. USDA serving sizes are often smaller than you might eat. So read labels carefully. Even small packages often contain more than one serving.

Sodium

While sodium (commonly called salt) is vital for healthy nerves and muscles, most of us get too much salt in our diet, often from processed foods.

Sugars

This section of the nutrition label lists added and natural sugars separately. Added sugars include sucrose, glucose, fructose, and corn and maple syrups. Natural sugars include lactose in milk and fructose in fruit.

Total Calories

This number on a food label indicates how many calories are in a single serving of food.

Total Carbohydrate

This number on a food label indicates how many grams of carbohydrates are in a single serving of food.

Total Fat

This number on a food label indicates how much fat is in a single serving of food.

Trans Fat

Trans fats are created when liquid fats such as vegetable oil are hydrogenated into more solid fats, such as margarine and shortening. Trans fats are linked with high LDL cholesterol, which can increase your risk of heart disease. Keep the intake of trans fats as low as possible.

Vitamins

Any of a group of organic compounds which are essential for normal growth and nutrition and are required in small quantities in the diet because they cannot be synthesized by the body.

Whole Grain

Whole-grain foods include the bran, nutrient-rich germ, and endosperm of grains such as wheat, oats, or rice. Examples include brown rice, corn, and whole wheat bread. Whole-grain foods have more fiber, vitamins, and minerals than processed white grains. Eating more whole grains can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.