For last week’s practice question, we quizzed participants on their nutrition label reading ability. About 59% of respondents chose the best answer, revealing how challenging nutrition labels can be to dissect and understand, even for super-smart health care professionals. We want to clarify and share this important information, so you can pass it on to people living with diabetes and your colleagues, plus prepare for exam success!
Before we start though, if you don’t want any spoilers and haven’t tried the question yet, you can answer it below: Answer Question
Question: You are teaching about counting fat.
If they ate 2 servings of this Macaroni and Cheese (see label), how many calories would come from total fat?
Answer Choices:
- 16 gms
- 144 kcals
- 460 kcals
- 20%
Getting to the Best Answer
If you are thinking about taking the certification exam, this practice test question will set you up for success. Test writers anticipate possible answers based on the details in the question or image (like this nutrition label). They will wave those “juicy answers” right under your nose. Your job is to weed through the particulars, pluck out the most important elements and choose the BEST answer.
Answer 1 is incorrect. 13.75% chose this answer. “16 gms.” While it is true that there are 16 grams of fat in 2 servings of macaroni and cheese, this question doesn’t ask the test taker, “how many grams of fat”. The intent of the question is to determine how many kcals from total fat. Right away, we know this answer is wrong, because the unit is in gms not kcals.
Answer 2 is correct. 59.13% of you chose this answer. “144 kcals.” GREAT JOB. To get to this answer, you have to do a little math and know one important fact; there are 9 kcals in 1 gm of fat. On this label, one serving of macaroni and cheese has 8 gms, so 2 servings has 16 gms of total fat. 16 gms x 9 kcals = 144 kcals. In preparation for certification exams (and providing nutrition counseling), knowing how to read labels and being familiar with the kcals for protein, carbs and fats is very helpful.
Answer 3 is incorrect. About 12.81% of respondents chose this. “460 kcals.” This would be the correct answer if the question read, “how many total calories” is in 2 servings of this macaroni and cheese. However, the question is only asking for total fat calories in 2 servings. To get to best answer, you have to do a little math and know one important fact; there are 9 kcals in 1 gm of fat. On this label, one serving of macaroni and cheese has 8 gms, so 2 servings has 16 gms of total fat. 16 gms x 9 kcals = 144 kcals.
Finally, Answer 4 is incorrect. 14.31% chose this answer. “20%.” While it is true that there is 20% total fat in 2 servings of macaroni and cheese, this question doesn’t ask the test taker, “what percent of fat”. The intent of the question is to determine how many kcals from total fat. Right away, we know this answer is wrong, because the unit is in % not kcals.
We hope you appreciate this week’s rationale! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our Question of the Week and participate in this fun learning activity!
Want to learn more about Medical Nutrition Therapy?
You are invited to join our Virtual Conference with our Nutrition expert speaker, Ashley LaBrier, MS, RD, CDCES, who will be providing a half-day presentation on this important topic!
Ashley LaBrier, MS, RD, CDES, is an innovator in the field of diabetes, nutrition, and technology. Ashley is a consultant and the Diabetes Education Program Coordinator at the Salinas Valley Medical Clinic’s Diabetes & Endocrine Center.
Ms. LaBrier is passionate about providing person-centered education to empower those who live with diabetes. Having been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes herself nearly 20 years ago, she combines her professional knowledge with personal experience and understanding.
Virtual DiabetesEd Training Conference
Whether you are new to diabetes or a seasoned expert, you’ll benefit from this virtual conference with the latest research plus critical content that you can immediately apply to your clinical practice.
If you are seeking a state-of-the-art review of current diabetes care, this course is for you. Our team has been fine-tuning this course for over fifteen years, and we know what you need. This program can also be a great addition to your CDCES or BC-ADM exam study plan.
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