Reading Infant and Toddler Food Labels
Understanding the Nutrition Facts on Foods for Children Under Four
Mar 14, 2009
Since the USDA Dietary Guidelines do not apply to infants and toddlers, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and the FDA require special labeling on foods for children under four years of age. While the Nutrition Facts label on infant and toddler foods is in the same format as the label on any other packaged food, the labels on infant and toddler foods offer different nutritional information to help parents or caregivers choose foods with the types and amounts of nutrients needed for young children.
Serving Size
The serving size information on infant and toddler food labels is based on the average amount that a child under two or four years of age usually eats at one time. For instance, on a food such as single grain cereal, that serving is 1/4 cup on average.
Total Calories
Much like other prepackaged food, the calories on an infant or toddler food label is basically a measure of food energy for the particular serving size listed on the label.
Total Fat and Trans Fat
Food labels on infant and toddler foods list how much total fat and trans fat are contained in a single serving of that food. While regular food labels also list calories from fat and saturated fat, this type of nutritional information is not included on infant and toddler food labels since children under four need fat to their rapidly growing bodies, and health experts recommend not to restrict fat in the diet of young children.
Other Nutrients on the Label
Just as with other regular food on store shelves, the milligrams per serving of both sodium and potassium are also listed on infant and toddler foods. An infant or toddler food label also contains the total grams of carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sugar, and protein. In some cases, the label will list whether or not that food is a good source of protein.
% Daily Values (DVs)
The % DVs for certain vitamins and minerals are listed on infant and toddler food labels; however, the % DVs for fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, and fiber are not listed because there are no % DVs set in regards to those nutrients for children who are under four years of age.
When buying infant or toddler foods, be sure to check other information on the food label such as the ingredients list in case of food allergies and the use-by date since this date is used to determine quality in regards to nutrient retention. Also, the closer a use-by date, the more likely the food will not be as flavorful and may even have a different texture.
