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How to read the Nutrition Facts Panel on Food Labels
| People look at food labels for different reasons. But whatever
the reason, many consumers would like to know how to use this information
more effectively and easily. The following guidance is intended to make
it easier for you to use nutrition labels to make quick, informed food choices
that contribute to a healthy diet. |
Calorie measure from the food label sample (above)
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The first place to start when you look at the Nutrition Facts panel is
the serving size and the number of servings in the package.
Serving sizes are provided in familiar units, such as cups or pieces,
followed by the metric amount, e.g., the number of grams. Serving sizes
are based on the amount of food people typically eat, which makes them
realistic and easy to compare to similar foods.
Pay attention to the serving size, including how many servings
there are in the food package, and compare it to how much YOU actually
eat.
The size of the serving on the food package influences all the nutrient
amounts listed on the top part of the label. In the sample label above,
one serving of macaroni and cheese equals one cup.
If you ate the whole package, you would eat two cups. That doubles the
calories and other nutrient numbers, including the %Daily Values as shown
below (see Calories and %Daily Value for more information).
See this chart for a visual
example of the difference between the calorie and nutritional content
for one serving versus two.
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Calorie measure from the food label sample (above)
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| Calories provide a measure of how much energy
you get from a serving of this food. The label also tells you how many of
the calories in one serving come from fat. In the example, there are 250
calories in a serving of this macaroni and cheese. How many calories from
fat are there in ONE serving? Answer: 110 calories, which means almost half
come from fat. What if you ate the whole package content? Then, you would
consume two servings, or 500 calories, and 220 would come from fat. |
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Fat Cholesterol and sodium - generally, Americans get more than enough.
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| The nutrients listed on the right, from the top
of the nutrition lable, are the ones Americans generally eat in adequate
amounts, or even too much. They are identified in yellow on the chart as
Limit these Nutrients. Eating too much fat or too much sodium may increase
your risk of certain chronic diseases, like heart disease, some cancers,
or high blood pressure. Eating too many calories is linked to overweight
and obesity. |
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Daily vitamin information from the food lable - these are very important.
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Americans often don't get enough dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C,
calcium, and iron in their diets. They are identified in blue on the chart
on the right, here.
Get Enough of these Nutrients. Eating enough of these nutrients can improve
your health and help reduce the risk of some diseases and conditions.
For example, getting enough calcium can reduce the risk of osteoporosis,
in which bones become brittle and break as one ages (see calcium example
below).
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Other helpful reading about nutrition
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