Learning how to read and use the nutrition facts label can help you make informed food choices that support a healthy diet.
See below three important definitions to know before reading food labels.
Calories: the total number of calories, or “energy,” supplied from all sources (fat, carbohydrate, protein, and alcohol) in a serving of the food.
Nutrient: a substance in food that is used by the body to function and grow. Examples: fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water.
Percent Daily Value (%DV): shows how much nutrient in a serving of the food contributes to a total daily diet. It can help you determine if a serving of the food is high or low in an individual nutrient and to compare food products.
What the New Nutrition Facts Label Tells Us
- The first line tells you about the servings per container, which is the total number of servings in the entire food package or container. It’s common for one package of food to contain more than one serving.
- The second line is serving size. The serving size is based on the amount of food people typically eat at one time and is not a recommendation of how much you should eat. The nutrition information listed on the Nutrition Facts Label is based on the serving size listed on the label, and, if there is a second column based on the amount per package, that column of nutrition information will be based on the entire package. Serving size is shown as a common household measure that is appropriate to the food (such as cup, tablespoon, piece, slice, or jar), followed by the metric amount. When comparing calories and nutrients in different foods, always check the serving size to make an accurate comparison.
- The third line is calories. Calories refer to the total number of calories, or “energy,” supplied from all sources (fat, carbohydrate, protein, and alcohol) in a serving of the food. To achieve or maintain a healthy weight, balance the number of calories you eat and drink with the number of calories your body uses. 2,000 calories a day is used as a general guide for nutrition advice.
- The Percent Daily Value, or percent DV, shows how much nutrients are in a serving of the food contributes to a total daily diet. Use the %DV to determine if a serving of the food is high or low in an individual nutrient and to compare food products – but make sure the serving size is the same. As a general guide: 5% DV or less of a nutrient per serving is considered low, and 20% DV or more of a nutrient per serving is considered high. You can find the %DV on the right side of the list of nutrients.
- On the left side of the food label lists the different nutrients contained in the food product. Use this section of the label to help choose products that are lower in nutrients you want to get less of and higher in nutrients you want to get more of. Nutrients to get less of include saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and added sugars. Most Americans exceed the recommended limits for these nutrients—and diets higher in these nutrients are associated with an increased risk of developing some health conditions (such as cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure). Compare and choose foods to get less than 100% DV of these nutrients each day. Nutrients to get more of include dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium.
Dual-Column Labels
On some food items or packages, you may see a dual-column label. These labels are used for certain products that are larger than a single serving but that could be consumed in one sitting or multiple sittings. Manufacturers are mandated to provide “dual column” labels to indicate the amounts of calories and nutrients on both a “per serving” and “per package” or “per unit” basis. The purpose of this type of dual-column labeling is to allow people to easily identify how many calories and nutrients they are getting if they eat or drink the entire package at one time. For example, a bag of pretzels with 3 servings per container might have a label that looks like this to show you how many calories and other nutrients would be in one serving and in one package (3 servings).
If you have any questions about learning how to read food labels, please contact
Shakera Williams, M.P.H.
Assistant Nutrition Extension Agent-General & SNAP-Ed Nutrition
Webster/Claiborne Parishes
Office: (318) 371-1371
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