Most packaged and pre-made products purchased in stores contain a nutrition facts label that lists information contained within that food product. The information is extremely helpful for those watching calories, carbohydrates and proteins as well as daily vitamin and mineral intake. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, established this information as a means of helping consumers to better understand what they were buying and to easily and effectively enable them make informed food choices.
Nutrition labels can vary from product to product, but should contain basic serving, calorie and nutrient information listed from top to bottom. The label can be located anywhere on the outside of the package. Most manufacturers list the actual ingredients below or near the nutrition facts label.
Serving Size and Calories
The first section of the nutrition facts label lists the serving size and number of servings per container. The calories and nutrient information are per serving, so if an individual consumes an entire package containing two servings, the values listed should be multiplied by two. The next section lists the calorie content, number of calories from fat and percent daily value based on a 2,000-calorie diet unless otherwise noted in the footnote, located at the bottom of the nutrition facts label.
Nutrients
The middle of the nutrition facts label lists the total fat content along with the percent daily value. The fat content is further broken down into saturated fat, unsaturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans fat content. Next is the cholesterol and sodium content. Total carbohydrates are further broken down into dietary fiber and sugars with their associated percent daily values. After total carbohydrates is the protein value.
Vitamins and Minerals
The next section lists the percent daily value of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, phosphorous and magnesium. According to the FDA, most Americans do not get enough of the essential nutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron, in their diets.
Footnote
The last section consists of the footnote containing the statement, "Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs." Depending on the product, the number of calories may be different. After this statement, the percent of daily values may or may not be listed, based on availability of space on the package. According to the FDA, this information lists the recommended percent daily values based on expert advice.
Sample
For instance, 1 cup or 236 ml of nonfat milk equivalent to one serving contains 80 calories with 0 g of total fat. This single serving has less then 5 mg of cholesterol, 120 mg of sodium, 11 g of total carbohydrates, which is further broken down into 11 g of sugars and 0 g of fiber. This 1-cup serving offers 9 g of protein. The percent daily value offers 5 percent of sodium, 4 percent of total carbohydrates and 17 percent of protein. Based on a 2,000-calorie diet, the percent daily values of 1 cup of nonfat milk offers 10 percent of vitamin A, 4 percent of vitamin C, 25 percent of vitamin D and 30 percent of calcium.
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