All foods sold in the United States must feature a box labeled "Nutrition Facts" on their packaging. This box, located on the outside of the food's packaging, discloses both the beneficial and harmful ingredients in the food. This information is of particular concern if you have certain health conditions, like diabetes. However, even if you are in good health, you should understand how to read and interpret the nutrition facts of all food you purchase.
Deciphering Nutritional Labels on Food
Step 1
Estimate the number of calories you need to eat per day. The American Heart Association's website offers a table of calorie requirements by age, sex and activity level. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notes that nutritional labels offer information based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet, with larger labels also giving information for 2,500-calorie diets. Use the Daily Value, or DV, percentages on labels as a guideline only if your calorie requirements differ.
Step 2
Determine the serving size on which the nutritional information is based. The FDA notes that serving sizes may consist of volume measurements, given in standard and metric, or individual piece counts. Use measuring cups or spoons, or count out pieces to be certain you are only consuming one serving of the food; otherwise, the listed nutritional information will not be correct.
Step 3
Check the calorie count. This information is under the serving size and indicates not only the total calories per serving but also the number of those calories that come from fat. Compare both of these numbers to choose low-calorie and low-fat foods, advises the Mayo Clinic.
Step 4
Look for nutrients you should limit. These nutrients, shown first on the list under the calorie count, are fat, cholesterol and sodium. The fat content is divided into various categories, such as saturated fat, trans fat and unsaturated fat, depending on the fat content of the particular food. Limit your intake of these nutrients to 100 percent or less of the DV, as the FDA notes they may lead to cancer or heart and circulatory conditions.
Step 5
Check the nutrients that you need. These include vitamins and minerals, listed below the thick black bar after the list of ingredients to limit, and dietary fiber, included in the carbohydrate information. Compare the amount of carbohydrates that come from dietary fiber against those that come from sugars. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, reports that foods high in added sugars, including various types of sugar, syrups and ingredients that end in the suffix "-ose," generally have less nutritional value overall than foods that get more of their carbohydrate content from dietary fiber.
Tips and Warnings
- Choose foods that give you the most benefit for the amount of calories they contain. For example, if two food items are nearly identical but one contains more calcium, choose the food richer in calcium.
- Do not assume that low-fat foods are also low-calorie or that foods high in good nutrients are low in bad ones. Read each part of the nutrition label carefully to make the best food choices.
Things You'll Need
- Food package with nutritional label
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
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