This is a legacy version of the WELL Building Standard. Please check the latest version here.

Nutritional information

Access to nutritional information allows consumers to make informed dietary choices. For example, being able to compare the sodium content of two different snacks can enable individuals who need to limit their salt intake choose the better option. The FDA sets specific requirements for nutrition labeling in packaged foods, and several municipal administrations have extended a labeling regulation to apply to prepared foods as well.

This feature requires that foods sold and distributed on the premises—whether packaged or served prepared—are labeled with the total calories, macronutrient content, a complete list of ingredients and the content of vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. Many commercial kitchens already use software to organize recipes that can be repurposed to display nutritional information.

Part 1: Detailed Nutritional Information

For foods and beverages sold or distributed on a dailiy basis on the premises by (or under contract with) the project owner, the following are accurately displayed (per meal or item) on packaging, menus or signage:

a.74 Total calories.
b.61 Macronutrient content (total protein, total fat and total carbohydrate) in weight and as a percent of the FDA estimated daily requirements (Daily Values).
c.61 Micronutrient content (vitamins A and C, calcium and iron) in weight or international units (IU) and/or as a percent of the FDA estimated daily requirements (Daily Values).
d.61 Total sugar content.
Part 2: Healthy Cooking Guidelines

The following are freely available wherever food is sold or in common areas where food is commonly consumed or prepared:

a. A library of at least 3 cookbooks, magazines, or other literature related to healthy cooking or gardening for every 100 occupants are available in the food preparation area.
b.77 Information on suggested caloric intake based on age, gender, weight and activity level according to USDA recommendations and displayed prominently in the kitchen and dining spaces.
Skeletal
Cardiovascular
Digestive
Muscular

Applicability Matrix

Core & Shell New & Existing Buildings New & Existing Interiors
Part 1: Detailed Nutritional Information O P P
Part 2: Healthy Cooking Guidelines - - -
Commercial Kitchen Education Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
Part 1: Detailed Nutritional Information P P P P -
Part 2: Healthy Cooking Guidelines - - - P -

Verification Methods Matrix

Letters of Assurance Annotated Documents On-Site Checks
Part 1: Detailed Nutritional Information Visual Inspection
Part 2: Healthy Cooking Guidelines Visual Inspection
61

Food and Drug Administration. How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label. http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/LabelingNutrition/ucm274593.htm. Published 2004. Accessed September 15, 2014.

44.1.b

The FDA's How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label requires that packaged food items list the macronutrient content as both a weight and a percentage of the recommended daily value.

44.1.c

The FDA's How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label requires that packaged food items list the micronutrient content as both a weight and a percentage of the recommended daily value.

44.1.d

The FDA's How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label requires that packaged food items list the sugar content as a weight.

74

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The Requirement to Post Calorie Counts on Menus, Section 81.50. http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/cdp/calorie_compliance_guide.pdf. Published 2008. Accessed September 17, 2014.

44.1.a

The New York City Department of Health requires all eating establishments with 15 or more locations to post total calorie counts on menus.

77

U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. 7th Edition, December 2010. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.

44.2.b

Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest recommendations for healthy eating healthy caloric intake based on age, gender, weight, and activity levels.