Understanding the nutrition labels on the foods you eat is important because it allows you to choose things that fit within a healthy eating plan. Most nutrition labels can be found on the package and give you information regarding a variety of nutrients. The labels are based on a 2,000-calorie diet so some adjustments will be needed for those who eat more or less than that.
Step 1
Look at the serving size. This is a crucial step because many packaged foods contain more than one serving. If you eat the whole thing, you must multiply all the other information times the number of servings. For example, if you consume a package of food that contains four servings, you will have taken in four times the fat, calories and salt listed on the label.
Step 2
Read how much fat, calories, cholesterol and salt are in the food. These are things you want to limit so choosing foods that are low in each is necessary to do this. In general, foods that are 40 calories or fewer are considered low-calorie, about 100 calories is moderate and anything with 400 or more calories per serving is considered high-calorie. The label will tell you how much total fat, saturated fat and trans fat the food contains. The lower the numbers, the healthier the food is. Some labels list unsaturated fat content; these are heart-healthy fats and should be part of your diet in moderation. Limit foods that are high in cholesterol, which are typically those that are also high in fat.
Step 3
Find the vitamin, mineral, protein and fiber content. These are nutrients you need to stay healthy so choosing foods that are high in them will help you do so. Get these nutrients from foods that are also low in fat, calories, salt and cholesterol because they will be the ones that fight disease and keep your body functioning in a healthy way. The vitamin and mineral content is listed according to the percentage of the daily recommended total for a 2,000-calorie diet. For example, if a food label says it provides 20 percent of your daily needs for vitamin A, that only applies if you eat 2,000 calories per day. If you only eat 1,500 calories, you will be getting 25 percent of your daily needs, and eating 2,500 calories means only getting 15 percent of the recommendation.
Step 4
Look for sugar content. Foods that are high in sugar increase your calorie intake and can lead to weight gain. Some foods that are high in sugar are fat-free, but are not always a healthy choice. Soda is one example; you will see that it contains no fat, but is still high in calories and contains zero nutrients.
Step 5
Read the ingredient list. If unhealthy ingredients, such as high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils or additives are near the top of the list, you can usually assume that the food is not healthy. Look for those that list fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy or whole grains at the top of the list for a choice that is nutritionally dense and is usually low in calories, fat, salt and cholesterol.
Step 6
Read educational materials for detailed information about each aspect of the nutrition label. If you are struggling to understand the information put out on the label, use books, websites or computer software to help you learn what each part means and how you can interpret it.
Things You'll Need
- Nutrition labels
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