Nutrition Q&A: The highs and lows of good nutrition

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - You often see "high in ...." or "low in ...." on packages. But do you know how high is high or how low is low? There are government requirements that manufacturers must meet before they can use these descriptions. Here's a quiz to find out if you can figure out the code. Answer each statement true or false.

1. When a product is touted as "high" in a nutrient, it must contain at least 20 percent of the Daily Value.

2. The milk label reads "excellent source of calcium" so one serving must have at least half your daily calcium needs.

3. When a label reads "good source" of a particular nutrient, it is not required to have a minimum amount.

4. Light or "lite" indicates that a product has 50 percent less calories than the regular version.

5. When it comes to sodium, when a manufacturer labels it as "lite" or light, it has 50 percent less than the regular version.

6. Low cholesterol means the food has 20 milligrams or less.

7. Calorie-free can be used only on items that have no calories per serving.

8. Sodium-free indicates that an item has no sodium at all.

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Source: "Nutrition for Dummies" by Carol Ann Rinzler (IDG Books, $19.99, 410 pages)

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Answers: 1) True; 2) False. One serving must have 20 percent of your daily value. 3) False. It must have between 10 and 19 percent. 4) False. Light indicates that it has a third less calories. 5) True; 6) True; 7) False. Calorie-free can be used on items that have five calories or less per serving. 8) False. It means that the item has five milligrams or less of sodium per serving.

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© 2008, The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.).