Reading Nutrition Fact Labels

Step 1: How much you are eating

• Check the serving size of the food (i.e. cups, pieces, ounces).
• How many servings per container?
• Be conscious of how much you are actually eating; the calorie and nutrition breakdown is based on one serving size.

Step 2: Calories

• Calories indicate how much energy you are consuming per serving.
• Calories from fat tell you the amount of calories that come from fat.
• Most calories should come from carbohydrate and protein sources rather than from fat sources.
• Based on a 2,000 calorie diet, one should consume less than 600 calories from fat, or less than 30% of calories from fat:
  • Less than 40 calories per serving = low fat
  • 100 calories per serving = moderate fat
  • More than 400 calories per serving = high fat

Step 3: Nutrients

• Look at the nutrients listed in gold. Be conscious of how much you are consuming because high intakes of fats, cholesterol, and sodium have been linked to heart disease, cancer, and high blood pressure.
• Look at the nutrients listed in blue. It is important to get 100% of these nutrients every day.

Step 4: Nutrients and their contribution to diet

The % Daily Value (DV) is based on 100% of the daily requirements of each nutrient (for a 2000 calorie diet) which
can help you recognize nutrients that you are over consuming (20% or greater) and under consuming (5% or less).

• Fat: Choose unsaturated fats (examples: olive oil, canola oil) when possible, and limit foods with saturated and trans fat (examples: saturated fat – butter; trans fat- hydrogenated oils).
• Carbohydrate: Should constitute 60% of calorie intake, or about 1,200 calories or 300g. Look for low sugar and high fiber products. Try to consume at least 25g of fiber each day (1 slice of whole wheat bread = 2g fiber, ½ cup kidney beans = 8g fiber).
• Sugar: Limit sugar intake.
• The daily value for calcium is 1,000mg a day. This product contains 20% (200mg) of calcium in 1 serving.

Step 5: Recommendations

• This sections shows recommended dietary advice relevant to all Americans based on either a 2000 or 2500 calorie diet. This is listed on every package, if space allows. This section will be the same on all food labels.
• “Less than” indicates that you should consume less than the upper limit of the Daily Value of the nutrient. For example, you should consume “less than” 65g of fat or the total Daily Value for the day.
• Use this as a guide to balance your diet.