How to read and understand nutrition labels

If you want Real know what you are eating, take the time to read the nutrition label on the package.

This box full of information, with text and numbers, provides an overview of what is in food and drinks. Knowing what to look for can make the process of putting together nutritious and healthy meals much easier.

Let’s take a closer look at what you can learn with the help of registered dietitians Kayla Kopp, RD, LD, and Beth Czerwony, RD, LD.

What is a nutrition label?

Nutrition labels are intended to help you make healthy food choices. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revamped the “Nutrition Facts” label in 2016 to help people know what they are putting into their bodies.

There’s a lot of information packed into the small, rectangular boxes printed on packaged foods and drinks. Here’s what you’ll see and what you can get out of it.

Portion size

What you consider one serving of your favorite food can be…well, MORE than one serving as defined by the FDA.

The serving size listed on a product’s nutrition label reflects the amount of food people typically consume in one sitting. It can be stated as a count (such as 15 crackers). It can be done in a proportion (such as 1/4 of a pizza). It can be on a volume basis (as in cups or fluid ounces).

Sounds simple, right? Unfortunately, misjudging portion size is a mistake. “People routinely underestimate what a portion is,” says Kopp. “More often than not, you’ll probably eat more than one.”

Considering that serving size is the basis for the rest of the nutrition label, that’s a major issue. Information about calories, fat, nutrients and more is based on what is defined as a serving size.

To help consumers, some nutrition labels now include a row of facts based on the contents of the entire package. Anyone who has downed a pint of ice cream in one go understands that logic.

“It’s an addition based on what people might eat,” Czerwony notes. “It gives a better insight into what you eat, without having to do math based on the number of servings in a package.”

To get a handle on portion size, Kopp suggests measuring your food and drinks to see what’s considered a single serving. (WARNING: The results may surprise you.)

Calories

It’s hard to miss the calorie counts on nutrition labels. They are highlighted in BIG BOLD PRINT at the top of nutrition labels. There is a reason for that: calories are extremely important for health.

Let’s start with the basics: calories measure energy. The number of calories you see on a nutrition label reflects the energy available in foods and drinks, Kopp explains. You must consume calories to keep your body functioning.

But the key is balancing the calories you take in with the calories your body burns as fuel. Eating more calories than your body uses can lead to obesity and overweight and related health problems.

A diet of 2,000 calories per day is considered sufficient for most people. But individual calorie needs can vary widely depending on a person’s age, gender, height, weight and activity level.

With that as background, how can you use calorie counts on nutrition labels to help make meal choices?

In general, Kopp says that a food with about 100 calories per serving is a moderately high-calorie food that fits into a healthy diet. Try to avoid or limit high-calorie foods with 400 or more calories per serving.

And as noted, consider portion sizes when calculating total calories. “If you eat a package of cookies containing three servings, you have eaten three times as many calories as stated on the nutrition label,” says Kopp.

Nutrients

Information about important nutrients fills the center of nutrition labels. Some of these nutrients – such as dietary fiber, calcium and vitamin D – are important for good health, but are often missing from people’s diets.

Other nutrients mentioned – such as saturated fat, added sugars and sodium – are often eaten in excess and are linked to several health problems.

Let’s take a closer look at what you can learn and how you can use that knowledge.

Fats

The largest number you see here is for total fats, but this is not the most important piece of information. “The real key is saturated fats and trans fats,” says Czerwony. “Those are the ones that can contribute to heart disease and other health problems.”

Foods high in saturated fat include fatty cuts of beef and pork or poultry with skin, plus animal foods such as eggs and full-fat dairy products. Pastries, fried foods, and many highly processed snacks are also packed with it.

Ideally, saturated fats should make up no more than 5% to 6% of your daily calorie intake, which equates to about 100 to 120 calories. (One gram of saturated fat is 9 calories, so multiply the grams of saturated fat in a product by 9 to calculate the calories from saturated fat.)

As bad as saturated fats are, trans fats are worse. That explains why the FDA banned them in 2018. But small amounts can still be found in some packaged foods.

Cholesterol

Worldwide, it is estimated that almost 40% of the adult population has high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia). This excess of lipids (or fats) in your blood increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

So, should you keep a close eye on this number? It may not be necessary if you’re watching your saturated fats. “Most foods high in dietary cholesterol are also high in saturated fat,” says Kopp.

But if you want to keep track of cholesterol intake, it’s best to stay below 300 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per day on the typical 2,000-calorie diet.

Sodium

In many ways, sodium (and salt) gets a bad rap. The truth is, your body needs sodium. It is an important electrolyte that balances fluid levels in your body and keeps your nerves and muscles working properly.

But the problem is that most of us consume too much sodium. Overdoing it can contribute to health problems such as high blood pressure, stroke and kidney damage.

Kopp suggests limiting sodium intake to less than 600 mg for each of your three daily meals and less than 200 mg for two daily snacks. (It is recommended that daily consumption remains below 2,300 mg.)

When you start looking at labels, you might be surprised to see where sodium is hiding. Examples of foods high in sodium include:

• Canned soups.
• Condiments such as soy sauce and barbecue sauce.
• Frozen meals.
• Gherkins and olives.
• Processed meat.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates can be complicated, with a good and a bad side. The nutrition label offers a glimpse into both with information on dietary fiber (the good) and sugar (not-so-good).

• Dietary fiber works to aid digestion, prevent constipation and promote weight loss – all quite desirable properties. Aim to get at least 25 to 35 grams of fiber each day, says Kopp.
• Added sugars contributing empty or non-nutritional calories that can lead to weight gain. They are abundant in various foods ranging from processed white breads to desserts, salad dressings and breakfast cereals. U.S. dietary guidelines recommend consuming no more than 48 grams (12 teaspoons) of added sugar per day.

People with prediabetes and diabetes often need to pay close attention to the consumption of carbohydrates, which increase blood sugar levels.

Egg white

Protein deficiency is usually not a problem for most people who eat a normal diet, but it is possible to go overboard. Kopp recommends aiming for 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal. (Needs may increase if you’re trying to build muscle or recover from an injury.)

Vitamins and minerals

Vitamins and minerals help your body grow, develop and work properly. Depending on the product, a nutrition label can list up to 14 different vitamins and 14 different minerals.

But all nutrition labels should list the following nutrients, which many people miss in their diets:

• Calciumwhich promotes strong teeth and bones, promotes blood clotting and regulates heart rhythm and nerve functions.
• Vitamin Dthat helps strengthen bones and regulate blood pressure and hormones.
• Iron to keep the blood oxygenated and healthy and to prevent anemia. It also protects against infections and promotes growth and development, especially during pregnancy.
• Potassiuman electrolyte that helps support healthy blood pressure.

Health officials have called the vitamins and minerals listed above “nutrients of public health concern.” Low intake can lead to serious health problems such as anemia, osteoporosis, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Percent Daily Value (% DV)

The right column of a nutrition facts label lists the percentage of the Daily Value (written as %DV) for each nutrient in one serving of food or drink. You can use this number to find out whether a food is high or low in a particular nutrient.

A nutrient with an RDI of 5% or lower is considered to have a low daily value. A nutrient with an RDA of 20% or more has a high daily value.

In general, it is generally better to have a:

• Lower % DV for added sugar, sodium and saturated fat.
• Higher % RDA for fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Why nutrition labels are important

Understanding how to properly read a nutrition label can help you compare and choose between different brands or similar products. Learning how the numbers on the nutrition label affect your overall health can help you make informed shopping decisions.

“Think of nutrition labels as a reliable source of information,” says Czerwony. “Educate yourself on this. It takes some time, but it is a small investment considering what it can do for your health.”