Helping people achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Learn to read nutrition facts labels and make wise food choices.

How to Read Nutrition Facts Labels on Foods

Most foods except for those made in the store or containing very little nutrients (for example, coffee and spices) have nutrition facts labels. Read them to get information on the nutritional value and serving size of the foods you purchase. This will help you make wise choices and maintain a healthy diet. Use food labels as a guide for planning your daily calorie and nutrient intake.

Serving size

At the top of the label, you see the serving size and the number of servings in one package. Nutrition information on the food label is based on one serving. Read food labels carefully because the package may contain two or more servings. Therefore, if you eat the whole package, you should multiple the number of calories and nutrients by the number of servings you ate.

Calories

Below the serving size, you can see the number of calories in one serving. Pay attention to how many calories from fat there are in one serving. When shopping, compare the total calories and calories from fat in two similar products. For example, let us take wheat bread and whole-wheat bread . One slice ( 28 g ) of whole-wheat bread has 69 calories (10 calories from fat), while a slice of wheat bread contains 80 calories (11 calories from fat). The difference in calories from fat is very little, but the total difference in calories is rather significant. If you need to reduce your calorie intake, prefer whole-wheat bread.

Fats

Under the total calories, you see the amount of fats in one serving. In the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, it is recommended to keep total fat intake between 20-35 percent of calories and limit intake of the saturated fats and trans fatty acids. Eating too much saturated fats is linked to heart diseases. Total fat, saturated fats, and trans fats are listed separately. The food label information about fats will allow you to control your daily fat intake.

Cholesterol, sodium, sugars

Try to limit the consumption of cholesterol, sodium and sugar. A diet high in cholesterol can increase your risk of heart diseases and high blood pressure. Make sure to check the amount of sodium in similar products. For example, a slice of whole-wheat bread has 148 mg of sodium, while a slice of white bread contains 163 mg. Choose the bread with the least amount of sodium.

Use food labels to track how much cholesterol, sodium and sugar you get from foods.

Vitamins and minerals

The next section of the food label displays the list of nutrients beneficial to your health. These are vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium and fiber. If you eat enough of these nutrients, you improve your health. Researchers at the University of Texas compared the diet of people who had normal weight to the diet of overweight people. They discovered that adults of normal weight consumed more fiber than those who were overweight or obese.

To maintain a healthy diet, try to choose foods rich in fiber and vitamins. For instance, a slice of whole-wheat bread has 2 g. of dietary fiber, while a slice of white bread contains only 0.7 gram of fiber. If you want to increase your fiber intake, choose whole grains.

Percent daily value

The right part of the food label displays the Percent Daily Values (%DVs) based on a 2000-calorie diet. The Percent Daily Value helps you find out if the food is high or low in a nutrient . For example, a slice of whole-wheat bread has 2 g. of dietary fiber. Recommended fiber intake for a 2000-calorie diet is at least 25 g. Therefore, the fiber Percent Daily Value is 8 % on the nutrition facts label. That is when you eat a slice of whole-wheat, you get 8% of the fiber you need.

The Percent Daily Values can help you limit your intake of fat, sodium and cholesterol. Try to keep your intake of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol as low as possible.

Footnote

At the bottom of the label, you can see the list of key nutrients and recommendation on how much of each nutrient you need, depending on your calorie intake. The Daily Values in the footnote are based on 2000- and 2500-calorie diets and help you learn how much or little of each particular nutrient is recommended to consume. For example, the Daily Value for fiber is 25 grams that is 100% DV. This means you should eat at least 25 g. of dietary fiber a day.

Nutrition facts labels display the serving size and the amount of various nutrients such as saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and fiber per one serving. Nutrient facts labels will help you control your daily calorie intake and follow a healthy diet.

References

  1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
  2. Highlights from the June 2006 Journal of the American Dietetic Association
  3. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005
  4. American Diabetes Association. Reading Food Labels

Weight loss tip:
Try to eat less sweets and more fruit.