Do you know anyone who is allergic to peanuts, wheat, or another food? Food allergies affect many people and maybe even some of your classmates, friends, and family! When someone has a food allergy, their body behaves differently to certain proteins in food. The change could be mild, such as causing skin to itch or swell. Some people have a stronger reaction, where their throat might swell to make breathing difficult.

People with food allergies can prevent allergic reactions by not eating or touching the foods that cause them. The eight most common food allergens, or the foods that can cause an allergic reaction, are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. Any food that contains these ingredients is required to state it on the food label. People can read the Nutrition Facts label to see the complete list of ingredients in a food.

Learn more about food allergies and how to stay safe on Nutrition.gov.

Why are vitamins and minerals an important part of nutrition? These nutrients are found in healthy foods and have many roles in the body. They can help it to heal wounds, build strong bones, move muscles, fight germs that can make us sick, and much more! For example, vitamin K helps your blood to clot when you have a cut so that you stop bleeding. Get it from foods like spinach, kale, broccoli, and soybeans. Did you know that potassium keeps your muscles and nervous system working properly? Find it in bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, dairy, and other foods. Discover what the different vitamins and minerals do and how to choose foods that contain them.

Have you ever noticed the numbers on the back of food and drink packages? Those numbers are part of the Nutrition Facts label, which tells you what nutrients are inside of food. Many types of nutrients can be found in the food that you eat.  Protein, fat, and carbohydrates give the body energy to help you grow and stay active. Vitamins and minerals help the body function. For example, you can find vitamin D and calcium that help your bones stay strong, and potassium which helps your muscles  function.

The label’s percent Daily Value (%DV) section can help you learn how much of each nutrient you are eating and compare what is in different foods. The Nutrition Facts label also provides a suggested serving size, or how much to eat at one time. This helpful information can be used to choose healthy options when cooking and eating.

Use the Nutrition Facts Label to find out how much of certain nutrients are found in foods, and how they can fit into a healthy diet. Try to choose foods with more vitamin D, calcium, and potassium and less added sugars. For example, when buying breakfast cereal, you could use the label to choose a cereal that contains a lower amount of added sugars.

Want more information on the Nutrition Facts label? Learn more using the Food Labels resources on Nutrition.gov.

Want to know how to eat better and maintain a healthy diet?

Nutrition experts Dr. Patrice Armstrong and Colleen Sideck, from the National Agricultural Library's Food and Human Nutrition Information Center, answer questions and provide tips and resources for eating better and maintaining a healthy diet.

Healthy eating is healthy living! Find fun, healthy eating tips for kids and teens on Nutrition.gov’s Online Tools and Kids’ Corner pages. Use the games, activities, videos, and apps to make learning about nutrition easy, entertaining, and enjoyable.

Fiber that we eat is known as dietary fiber and it comes mostly from plants. It is important to eat fiber even though our bodies are unable to break it all down during digestion. Dietary fiber strengthens the muscles that keep food moving through our bodies and helps move waste out of our body. Foods that include dietary fiber are whole grains such as barley, brown rice, oatmeal, popcorn, whole wheat, beans and peas, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and most fruits.

For more information about fiber, visit the National Agricultural Library website: https://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/fiber