I used to be overwhelmed when looking at a nutrition label on packaged foods. Where do you start? What does all of this mean? The nutrition label is the section on the back or side of packaged foods that says "Nutrition Facts" which tells you all the important information about the nutrient content in the foods you are eating. The label changed recently as seen in the picture below, the new label is on the right.
Let's start from the top of the label:
Servings per Container-This tells you how many servings is included in the packaging for the amount of nutrients given on the label. Typically, packaged foods will contain more than one serving. For example, in the label above, there are 8 servings in one container.
Serving Size-The serving size is the measurement of how much should usually be eaten at one time. All of the nutrition facts given in the label are given for one serving of food. For the label above, that one serving is 2/3 cup. When comparing foods based on the nutrition label it is important to look at the serving size to make sure the two foods being compared are equal in servings sizes.
Calories-This is the total number of calories (aka energy) from all the sources (carbohydrates, fat, protein, and alcohol) that the one serving of food provides. Like I mentioned in the three part series on macronutrients, carbohydrates and protein have 4 calories per gram, fat has 9 calories per gram, and alcohol has 7 calories per gram. The amount of calories that each person needs is based on their metabolism and activity level. In general, around 100 calories per serving is a moderate amount while over 400 calories per serving is high.
Total Fat- The total fat includes the grams of saturated, trans, and unsaturated fat in the food. Unsaturated fats are not listed on the nutrition label on their own but are included in the total fat. All fats are 9 calories per gram. Saturated and trans fat are included under this heading.
Saturated Fat, Trans Fat, Cholesterol, and Sodium- These should be low numbers on the food labels, since we don't need much of these nutrients in our daily diet. These are the nutrients that we want to eat in moderation to prevent heart disease and stroke, but small amounts in our foods are not bad. The daily recommendation for saturated fat on a 2,000 calorie diet is less than 20g, and although there is no recommended value for trans fats, staying as close to 0g as possible is a good guide. The daily recommended value for cholesterol is less than 300mg per day and the recommendation for sodium (aka salt) is less than 2,300mg per day if you are following a 2,000 calorie diet. If your daily intake is above or below the 2,000 calorie mark, the amounts of these nutrients should change slightly.
Total Carbohydrates-The total carbohydrates give all of the carbohydrates, no matter the source, that the food item contains. All carbohydrates are 4 calories per gram no matter the type. Dietary Fiber, total sugars, and added sugars are all included under the carbohydrate heading because they are types of carbohydrates.
Dietary fiber is a nutrient we need more of to help with digestion and (tmi) bowel movements/staying regular. Including 5g or more per serving is a good source of fiber!
The total sugars include both added sugars and natural sugars, such as those found naturally in fruit or yogurt.
On the new label, the added sugars are listed separately from the total sugars. Look for foods with little to no added sugar and stick to the already occurring sugars as much as possible.
Protein-This one is pretty simple, it is just the grams of protein contained in one serving of the food product. Remember from the post all about protein, protein has 4 calories per gram and is found in higher amounts in meat and animal containing products but there are non-animal options that do provide a good source of protein.
Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, and Potassium-These are all micronutrients (aka vitamins and minerals) that the body needs daily to promote bone, blood, and muscle health for better overall energy levels and health. Try to eat more foods that contain these vitamins and minerals throughout the day to consume good amounts.
% Daily Value- The percentages to the right of the nutrients is the percentage of daily value met by one serving of this food. These percentages are based on a 2,000 calorie diet and will change depending on how may calories you should be eating/are eating per day. No matter how many calories you are consuming per day, if the % daily value is very high on, for instance, carbohydrates, it will still most likely be high for the amount of calories needed unless you are on a drastically high calorie goal or need more of a certain nutrient for health reasons.
Ingredients List-Although it is not seen in the pictures, the ingredients list is a super important part of food packaging. The ingredients list is arranged by weight from the ingredient used the most in the food to the ingredient used the least. A good rule when looking at the ingredient list for a given food item is if you cannot read/pronounce most of the ingredients listed, find another option. Items that have long lists of ingredients are usually very processed. Lots of pre-packaged foods will include lots of additives and preservatives and just extra things that we don't really need. Limit/avoid items that have ingredients such as:
Partially hydrogenated
Added sugar (ex. corn syrup, fructose, sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup solids)
Added sodium (ex. MSG, salt, sodium benzoate)
The shorter (and easier to understand) the ingredient list, the better!
I'm a very visual learner so I included this picture below that sums up the major aspects of the new nutrition label. Now that you (hopefully) have a better understanding of the components of the nutrition label, I hope you feel more confident about the foods you are eating!
https://nutritioneducationstore.com/products/food-label-poster-nutrition-facts-label-poster?variant=20544644739
Sources: Interactive Nutrition Facts Label. FDA Website-https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/InteractiveNutritionFactsLabel/#whats-on-the-label
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