The information on the food nutrition label is standardized by the Food and Drug Administration. Most prepackaged foods are required to have the food nutrition label; however, some foods may have an abbreviated food nutrition label if there's not room for the full label. Knowing how to read food nutrition labels helps to ensure that you choose the healthiest foods.
Step 1
Look at the number of servings on the food nutrition label. The value of the serving size will be placed in pieces, cups, ounces or another form of measurement. This lets you know how many servings are in the box and how much you can eat for the value listed.
Step 2
Check the calorie value listed on the food nutrition label. The Food and Drug Administration notes that low calorie foods have approximately 40 calories. Moderate calorie foods have approximately 100 calories per serving, while high calorie foods have approximately 400 calories per serving.
Step 3
Notice the fat grams per serving. You should consume no more than 56 to 78 grams of fat per day, no more than 16 grams of which should be saturated fat. When you check the fat grams, consider what you have eaten already and what you will eat the rest of the day to ensure that you don't eat more than the recommended amounts.
Step 4
Pay attention to the percent daily values. The American Heart Association states that a percent daily value of 5 percent or less is considered low, but a percent daily value of 20 percent or more is considered high. Healthy nutrients such as vitamins and calcium should be in the high level, while unhealthy items such as sodium, saturated fat and cholesterol should be in the low level.
Tips and Warnings
- Some nutrition food labels have footnotes that tell the daily values based on a 2,000 or 2,500 calorie diet. You can use this footnote if you are in a hurry to determine if the food is a healthy, nutritious choice for you.
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