Google is setting its sights on your waistline. The search giant just announced a new initiative that will give users easy access to nutrition information for more than 1,000 foods. In a blog post announcing the nutrition project, product manager Ilya Mezheritsky wrote:


Figuring out how to make smart choices about some of our favorite foods can often be a cumbersome and daunting process. So we’re hoping we can make those choices a little bit easier: starting today you will be able to quickly and easily find extensive nutrition information for over 1,000 fruits, vegetables, meats and meals in search.

Want to know how much salt is in tomato juice? How many calories in a serving of pretzels? Just ask a full question in Google Search and you'll get a fast answer. Using data from the USDA, Google will list calorie counts and nutritional breakdowns of simple ingredients like apples, bok choy and ground beef -- and also more complex, complete meals like burritos or chow mein, and even some alcoholic drinks, according to the announcement. Brand name foods are not included. The nutritional breakdown will appear above a traditional list of search results.


As Greatist reports, the nutrition info is part of their Knowledge Graph -- the carousel at the top of the results page that displays simple, commonly requested information. It is considered by many Google engineers to be "the future of search."


The new feature is reminiscent of Google's 2011 Google launch of the Body Browser. And as Think Progress reports, this isn't Google's first foray into public health. The company currently has a feature that directs suicide-related searches to suicide prevention resources.


The project launched on May 30 and will be available throughout the U.S. within 10 days. Want to learn more? Check out the full announcement here.


Related on HuffPost:






  • Low Fat


    Low fat is an FDA-regulated term that requires food bearing its label to have three or fewer grams of fat per serving.




  • Natural


    You may be surprised to learn that the term "Natural" has no actual FDA guideline behind it. Instead, it's a commercial term meant to sell products. Though <a href="http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/Transparency/Basics/ucm214868.htm">according to the FDA</a>, they traditionally don't object to the term if the food in question is free of "added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances." The USDA does require that any meat or poultry product labeled "natural" have <a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FACTSheets/Meat_&_Poultry_Labeling_Terms/index.asp#4">additional labeling to explain in what way it is natural</a> (e.g. "minimally processed").




  • Light


    A "light" label is regulated by the FDA and can refer to fat, calories or sodium. If referring to fat, the "light" food must have at least 50 percent less fat than the original version of the product. If the food began with fewer than 50 percent of its calories derived from fat, the "light" label can refer to a reduction of a third or more calories, or a 50 percent or greater reduction in sodium.




  • Zero Trans Fats


    Foods must contain fewer than half a gram of trans fat per serving to get the "zero trans fat" label, which has led to criticism that people may be <a href="http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/trans-fat-free-food-whats-the-truth?page=2">unknowingly eating a substantial amount of trans fat</a> on a daily basis.




  • Organic


    The term organic, on its own, doesn't have a legal definition from the FDA. But if the label says USDA Organic, it has been accredited by the USDA and thus contains a minimum of 95 percent organic ingredients. Another USDA label, "100 percent organic" requires all of the ingredients to be fully organic.




  • Made From Organic Ingredients


    Like USDA Organic, "Made from organic ingredients" is a USDA certified label, though it has a lower threshold: instead of 95 percent, 70 percent of the ingredients must be organic.




  • Cholesterol Free


    "Cholesterol free" foods must have fewer than two milligrams of cholesterol per serving as well as fewer than two grams of saturated fat per serving.




  • Whole Wheat


    Foods that are labeled<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/02/07/a-guide-to-decoding-ingredients-on-grain-products/"> whole wheat and 100% whole wheat</a> are the only labels that actually mean a food made with whole wheat flour.




  • Multigrain


    This label simply means that more than one type of grain was used to make the product, though it doesn't necessarily indicate that the grains were whole and thus healthier.




  • Lean


    The USDA requires meat that is labeled as "lean" to have fewer than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, and 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 100 grams. Of note, this regulation is grandfathered in, which means that meat that has consistently been labeled lean since before 1991 can retain the label even if it doesn't meet the requirements.




  • Free Range


    For poultry, the term "free range" is enforced by the USDA and means that <a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FACTSheets/Meat_&_Poultry_Labeling_Terms/index.asp#4">the animals were allowed access to the outside</a>. Of note, many eggs claim "free range" status, though the USDA does not regulate the term "free range" for <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/free-range/MY01559">egg producing poultry or for beef</a>.




  • Low Sodium


    Low sodium foods must have 140 or fewer milligrams of sodium per serving -- that's about 10 percent of the recommended daily allowance, per the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.




  • 'Good' Source Of


    When foods claim to be a good source of a particular vitamin or nutrient, <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/FoodLabelingNutrition/FoodLabelingGuide/ucm064916.htm">they must prove that they have at least 10 percent</a> of the USDA's recommended daily allowance. "Provides" and "contains" are synonymous with "good source of" in the eyes of the FDA.




  • 'High' Source Of


    When foods claim to be a high source of a particular vitamin or nutrient, they must prove that they have <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/FoodLabelingNutrition/FoodLabelingGuide/ucm064916.htm">at least 20 percent</a> of the USDA's recommended daily allowance.




  • Reduced Fat


    'Reduced fat' refers to a food that has less than half the fat of its original version.