If you're like most people, you probably pick up a bag of chips or box of cereal without stopping to think what is in the food you eat, and how that food will affect your body. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires labels on the packaging of food that spells out the ingredients contained in the item and the nutritional value of that food relative to a balanced diet.
Reading the labels on the food you eat can help you better choose foods that will contribute to your health and avoid foods that may be harmful to your overall well-being.
Calories
The first thing most people want to know about the food they eat is how many calories it contains. Because of this, calories are one of the first nutritional facts listed on the label. This will tell you how many calories you will consume if you eat a regular serving of whatever food you are inquiring about. Calories are important, as they are a unit of energy. When your body does not use up all the energy it gets from food, it stores it, which can lead to weight gain and other problems.
Servings
One of the more overlooked but most important part of the nutritional label is the servings section, located at the very top. This will tell you how many servings are contained in the entire package, and how much is in one serving.
For instance, a box of cereal may have 15 or 20 servings according to the nutritional label, but a serving may only be 1 cup, while you are used to eating 2 cups of cereal for breakfast. Knowing how much is in one serving will make using the nutritional information on the label more effective.
Percent Daily Value
The FDA bases its nutritional values on a 2,000-calorie diet, which it has determined is (or should be) the amount of calories the typical person eats in a day. It then uses that number and calculates the amount of each category (like calories, fat and sodium) that you will get from one serving of the food that is labeled.
For example, the FDA has determined that the average American should consume no more than 65g of fat per day. If the ice cream label indicates that one serving of ice cream contains 13g of fat per serving, consuming one serving would give you 20 percent of the daily recommended amount of fat.
Using these daily values can help you keep the amount of fat, calories and sodium you eat in check while also helping make sure you get the recommended amount of things like fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Understanding the Label
To help you get the most out of the food you eat, the nutrients section of the food label is organized into two sections: the nutrients you should limit and the nutrients you should work to get enough of throughout your day.
The nutrients that should be limited are listed at the top and are: fat (including saturated fat and trans fat), cholesterol and sodium. The nutrients you should work hard to include in your diet are: carbohydrates (including fiber) and protein.
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