The nurse has instructed an overweight client to follow a 2,000-calorie diet by substituting foods considered low in calories for those higher in calories. How does the client interpret the food label to decide if a food is low in calories?

Question

1. The product label will state "lighter" or "reduced calories."
2. The nutrition facts label will have the letter "L" located in the lower right corner.
3. Nutritional labeling on the product will indicate less than 40 calories per serving.
4. The product will contain no more than 11% fat.

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 3
Rationale 1: The words "lighter" or "reduced calories" only mean that this version of the food is lower in calories than a previous version, but the food can still be very high in calories.
Rationale 2: There is no special label letter that indicates foods lighter in calories.
Rationale 3: In order to qualify as a low-calorie food in a 2,000-calorie diet, the food must have less than 40 calories per serving.
Rationale 4: Foods that are lower in fat also contain fewer calories, but low fat is considered less than 5%.