What we look for on the labels

Got iron? You may want to check.

The top five items that Americans are seeking to maximize when they scan the Nutrition Facts labels on packaged foods are, in descending order: whole grains, dietary fiber, calcium, vitamin C and protein, according to a recent report from market research firm NPD Group.

Not a bad list overall, but it includes protein, which is not lacking in most American diets, and excludes iron, one of the more common deficiencies.

“Growing adolescents and premenopausal women tend to be deficient in iron,” said Lalita Kaul, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Assn. and a professor at Howard University’s College of Medicine. “ Vitamins A and C, calcium and iron should all be looked at.”

Overall, consumer priorities, as measured by the Dieting Monitor report, are in line with dietary needs, according to Kaul. But unless you’re a vegan or you’re on a restricted protein diet due to a kidney or liver problem, you don’t have to spend much time thinking about protein.

“We are getting enough protein, and there’s not that much concern” among researchers, Kaul said.

The Dieting Monitor also found that the five nutrients that a large percentage of consumers are trying to avoid, ranked in descending order, are: fat, sugars, cholesterol, sodium and trans fatty acids.

And the top five items on the label we’re most interested in overall are: total calories, total fat, calories from fat, sugars and sodium.

nschoenberg@tribune.com