FDA's New Online "Snack Shack" in Whyville Teaches Youth about the Nutrition Facts Label

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SILVER SPRING, Md., March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- March is National Nutrition Month®. To give young people hands-on experience in understanding and using the Nutrition Facts Label, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched Snack Shack, a new destination in the popular Whyville online community to help kids learn to compare snacks and make healthy decisions. 

The Nutrition Facts Label is a simple tool available on food and beverage packages, and the earlier kids start using it, the sooner they'll be making choices that keep them feeling great and on the path to long-term good health. FDA encourages all Americans to read the Nutrition Facts Label to make informed dietary choices, but it's especially important for youth, who are learning to build lifelong habits.

FDA is proposing to update the Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods and the Whyville Snack Shack games will be updated accordingly. For more information, see Proposed Changes to the Nutrition Facts Label.

FDA's Snack Shack features two engaging games that teach Whyville "citizens" to understand the Nutrition Facts Label and practice using it. Educators, parents, and caregivers can also encourage kids to explore the Snack Shack!

Visit the Whyville Snack Shack today at http://www.fda.gov/nutritioneducation

Two Engaging Games for Youth

Once kids enter the Snack Shack, they can play interactive games and receive important nutritional feedback based upon the choices they make.

• Label Lingo introduces players to the Nutrition Facts Label and familiarizes them with its various elements. A variety of "challenge" rounds address each Label element: for example, "Choose the food that has the lowest %DV of sodium." And, "hints" offer helpful tips when needed.
• Snack Sort builds upon key learnings from Label Lingo and lets players collaborate with other citizens. Players "sort" or "rank" colorful cartoon foods in the Snack Shack pantry using the Nutrition Facts Label for reference, gaining the knowledge needed to make healthy choices when shopping and when choosing foods from their own kitchens!

The awarding-winning Whyville website is one of the safest, friendliest, and most innovative game-based learning sites for students, covering a wide range of subjects. It offers over 100 free games that foster problem solving skills to over 7 million registered "citizens" who range in age from 8 to 15. With the addition of the new FDA Snack Shack, young citizens in Whyville can practice label reading in the online community to develop new skills for making smart snack choices in the real world. It all starts at the Snack Shack!

Additional FDA Assets Online
In addition to the new Whyville project, FDA offers many youth-targeted materials through its long-standing Read the Label Program, teaching kids and families how to use the Nutrition Facts Label to make healthy choices. Kids, families, and educators are invited to explore FDA's online assets that make reading the Nutrition Facts Label an easy part of their daily lives.

Contact: Media: 1-301-796-4540  Consumers: 1-888-SAFEFOOD (toll free)

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SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)