Nutrition facts label use in the selection of healthier foods by undergraduate students

Use of Nutrition Facts panel on food labels was studied in the selection of healthier substitutes for foods normally consumed by 276 undergraduates, mean age, 19.7+2.5 years. Among 1095 label pairs (3.97 per student), 80.6% included a healthier substitute. Most common food categories were cookies/bars/tarts (12.8%), cereal (11.8%), chips/crackers (11.1%), beverages (10.2%) and breads/muffins (9.1%). Up to three errors were recorded per label pair, with 384 total errors made, including failure to adjust for serving size (34%), use of pre-NLEA labels (30%), comparison of unlike foods (16%) and unclear comparisons or missing labels (19%). Among 3295 nutrient comparisons, total fat (23.6%), calories (18.4%) and sodium (11.7%) were cited most often. Substitutes were a little (1-10% difference) to a lot healthier (\u3e51% difference) for 83% of nutrients. Sixty percent would purchase healthier foods again or look for other substitutes and 47% stated they preferred the substitute\u27s taste or thought it equivalent