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No matter where you shop or what brands you buy - the Smart Choices Program? provides simple, front-of-pack nutrition guidance to help you make smarter food and beverage choices. The program is designed to fit how you shop in the store and works within product categories -- from beverages to meats -- to highlight those products that meet strict nutrition criteria. Since a healthy diet starts with fresh fruits and vegetables, they automatically qualify for the program. Please search for products online to find your favorite Smart Choices Program product brands.
Not only can you feel confident that the product is a smarter choice when you see the green check mark icon, but each product will also bear a calories indicator on the front of the package so you can determine at a glance how many calories there are per serving and how many servings per package. This feature aims to help you stay within your calorie needs, which is important to maintaining a healthy weight.
Every product must meet criteria for nutrients to limit before they can be considered for the program. These are nutrients identified by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans that are consumed in excess quantities by most Americans, such as saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.
| Nutrients to Limit ? General Benchmarks |
| Total Fat |
? 35 % of calories |
| Saturated Fat |
< 10 % of calories |
| Trans Fat |
0 g (labeled) |
| Cholesterol |
? 60 mg per serving |
| Added Sugars |
? 25 % of total calories |
| Sodium |
? 480 mg per serving |
In addition to nutrients to limit, products must include one or more nutrients to encourage or those nutrients that Americans do not always get enough of, such as calcium, vitamins A and C, potassium, and fiber.
| Nutrients to Encourage |
Calcium, Potassium, Fiber, Magnesium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin E |
A food must offer ?10% Daily Value (a ?good source?) of at least one of these nutrients |
For more information, download the full nutrition criteria.
For additional nutrition information and guidance:
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