Final answer:
A medical assistant should educate the patient on the significance of reading nutrition facts labels, understanding the percent daily values, and prioritizing foods with whole ingredients for healthier choices.
Step-by-step explanation:
A medical assistant should explain to a patient that reading nutrition facts labels is crucial for making healthy food choices. These labels provide valuable information about the nutrient content and ingredients in packaged foods, which can guide patients in selecting options rich in beneficial nutrients and lower in less desirable ones like sodium and sugars. Highlighting the importance of the percent daily values (% DV), which can help in assessing how a particular food fits into the patient's daily nutrient requirements, is also essential.
Furthermore, the assistant should mention that ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so those appearing first are present in the largest amounts. It's best to choose foods with whole ingredients, such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, over processed items. Patients should be encouraged to avoid foods with processed ingredients like white flour or white rice, as these have fewer nutrients compared to their whole counterparts.