nutrition
Comparison of Processing Methods: Is there a difference in nutrient content?
For this activity, you will go to the grocery store and compare the food labels of a single food that is packaged as fresh, frozen, and canned/bottled. For example, you may want to compare the nutrient content of an orange, frozen orange juice from concentrate, and bottled orange juice. Or, maybe you’re interested in comparing the nutrient content of fresh black-eyed peas, canned black-eyed peas, and frozen black-eyed peas. It is unlikely that your fresh food item will have a food label, so please use one of the websites below to obtain nutrient information. You do not need to purchase the food items, but it is recommended that you take a snapshot of each food label from your smartphone so that you can analyze and compare nutrient information and nutrient claims (if any) on each package. You will also need to take a snapshot or write down the cost of each food (in their different packaged forms) so that you can answer question #2 below.
It is recommended that you use a table format with nutrient subheadings. Please be sure that the nutrient information that you provide is for a similar serving size.
Orange Juice – freshly squeezed
Frozen Orange Juice from Concentrate
Bottled Orange Juice
Serving Size
1 cup
1 cup
1 cup
Calories
Calories from Fat
Total Fat
Saturated Fat
Trans Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Total Carbohydrate
Sugars
Fiber
Protein
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Calcium
Iron
(you may also list other nutrients that are found in significant quantities)
In addition to your nutrient comparison, you will need to answer the following questions in a 150-200 word summary:
Were there any significant differences or similarities in nutrient content between the three packaged or fresh foods?
Considering the cost of each food product, which one do you feel provides the best profile of “nutrient density” relative to the food cost? You will need to calculate the cost per serving and look at the overall nutrient profile per serving to assess which type of processing method yields the most nutrient-dense and cost-effective product.
Do you normally buy fresh, canned, or frozen foods? Why? (Discuss factors such as taste, cost, nutrient density, etc. that influence your food processing choices)
USDA Food Composition Database:
https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/ (Links to an external site.)
My Fitness Pal
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calorie-chart-nutrition-facts (Links to an external site.)
Calorie King
www.calorieking.com
