Standard information is available on a nutrition facts label. The purpose of this information is to help you make healthy food selections. Nutrition facts are based on specific serving sizes. When reading a food label, it is important for you to compare the listed serving size to the portion size you actually eat. This will help you make the needed mathematical or portion size adjustment and to use the nutrition facts label more accurately. The label also lists the total number of servings in the container.
Calories and Fat
Food labels tell you how many calories there are in a serving of a particular food. They also list how many calories from fat there are in a serving. If you have been advised by your doctor or dietitian to follow a low-fat diet, you can use this information to compare similar products and choose the one lower in calories or lower in calories from fat, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Required Nutrients
Nutrition facts labels are required at minimum to list amounts of total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugars, protein, vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. The amount of each of these nutrients is based on the serving size listed on the label. You must determine the amount of each listed nutrient based on your portion size.
Footnotes
The lower part of the nutrition label is required to tell you that percent daily values on the food label are based on a 2,000-calorie diet as published in U.S. Food and Drug Administration. You may need more or fewer than 2,000 calories a day. If the label on the package is big enough, it will tell you daily values or recommended levels of intake for total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate and dietary fiber based on both a 2,000-calorie and a 2,500-calorie daily diet.
How Much
Amounts of dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron are listed on food labels because if you're like most Americans, you may not be getting enough dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron in your daily diet. Amounts of total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium are listed on food labels because you may be exceeding a healthy intake of these nutrients.
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