How to Read a Food Label

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Knowing how to read a food label and understanding the nutrition information can seem complicated, but it’s actually easier than you think!  Being able to read a food label is essential to choosing healthy, nutritious foods.  Let’s briefly discuss the break-down of the nutrition label so you can make better food choices.

When looking at a food label, you should always start from the very top and work your way down.

At the top of the label, you will see that it lists the serving size and servings per container.  The serving size is the amount of food the nutrition label is based on (ex. If the serving size is ½ cup, then all of the nutrients listed are given for the ½ cup serving).  If you eat more than the serving size, the amount of the nutrients listed will be higher.  The same goes for if you eat less, the amount of the nutrients listed will be less (ex. If the serving size is ½ cup and you eat 1 cup, you have to double the nutrient info listed OR if you eat ¼ cup, you have to divide the nutrient info by 2).  The servings per container give you the total number of serving sizes that are available in the entire product (ex. If the servings per container = 24 and the serving size is ½ cup, then the whole product contains 12 cups.

Next, you will see Calories.  This will tell you how many calories are in one serving.  Calories from Fat is located directly to the right of the Calories.  This will tell you how many of the total calories comes from fat (ex. If ½ cup is 150 calories and 50 calories from fat, this means that 50 of the 150 calories are fat calories).

Total Fat is the next nutrient listed.  This indicates the total grams of fat in one serving.  This section can be broken down into 1-4 subcategories, which are the 4 different types of fat: Saturated Fat, Trans Fat, Polyunsaturated Fat, and Monounsaturated Fat.  The total grams of these 4 different types of fat will add up to equal the grams of Total Fat (ex. 6g Sat Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 2.5g Polyunsaturated, and 1.5g Monounsaturated = 10g Total Fat).  Poly and monounsaturated fats are not always listed.  You must assume that the Total Fat content may also include those not listed.

After Total Fat, Cholesterol followed by Sodium and Potassium are listed.  These indicate the total number of milligrams per serving.

Total Carbohydrate is next.  This section has 2 subcategories: Dietary Fiber and Sugars.  All list the number of grams per serving.

Last but certainly not least, Protein – which, again, lists the total number of grams per serving.

The last nutrients listed are vitamins and minerals.  Those required to be on the food label are: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Iron.  As desired by the food product’s manufacture, some food products may have additional vitamins and minerals listed.  Per serving, these are listed by the Percent of the Daily Value (%DV).  On the far right side of the nutrition label, you will see that some of the other nutrients will also have the %DV listed.

The %DV is based on a 2,000 calorie diet.  In other words, if you were to consume 2,000 calories a day, it lists the % of your total daily nutrient requirement that each nutrient provides you per serving.  It is important to note that 2,000 calories is an average and some people may need more or less depending on their personal body composition.  If the %DV is 5% or less, it is considered low and if the %DV is 20% or more, it is considered high.  Go for products that have lower %DVs for saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar, and those that have higher %DVs for poly and monounsaturated fat, potassium, dietary fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.

The ingredient listing for each food product is located at the very bottom, below the nutrition facts.  Remember, ingredients are always listed in descending order of weight (the ingredient that is listed first is the primary ingredient and the ingredients to follow are less and less concentrated).  Most food products list major allergens below the ingredient list.  However, if you have a food allergy, I would recommend that you look through the entire ingredient list carefully to ensure that there isn’t anything in the product that could possibly trigger a reaction.

Do you look at and read food labels often?  Do you understand what they mean?  Are there certain things you look for specifically on the label that determine whether or not you’re going to buy it?