How to Read a Food Label

What is usually found on a food label? Food labels, or nutrition facts labels, usually come with the following information: Serving Size and Servings Per Container Calories Nutrients (Fat, Carbohydrates, Proteins, Vitamins and Minerals) % Daily Values Ingredients (may be somewhere else on the package)

Serving Sizes Serving sizes are standardized to make it easier to compare similar foods. Recommends how much you are to eat at a time The serving size influences the number of calories and all of the nutrient amounts found on the rest of the label.

Servings Per Container Shows how many servings make up the entire container BE CAREFUL! Sometimes you may be consuming more than one serving at a time! For example: The label shown shows 2 servings per container. That means that if you eat the entire container, you must double all of the numbers that you see.

Calories Calories provide a measure of how much energy you get from a serving of this food. The label also tells you how many calories are made up of the fat within the food. Keep in mind, eating too many calories per day is linked to overweight and obesity.

Nutrients Total Fat Even though fat is essential for our bodies, it should be limited. 4 kinds of fat (may include some or all on food labels): Monounsaturated – heart healthy Polyunsaturated – heart healthy Saturated - unhealthy Trans fat - unhealthy

Nutrients Cholesterol A substance found only in animal products. Eating too much cholesterol is unhealthy for your heart.

Nutrients Sodium Tells you how much salt is in your food. People with high blood pressure are sometimes told to follow a low sodium diet.

Nutrients Total Carbohydrate Carbohydrates provide your body with energy. Types: Dietary fiber: helps with digestion and keeps you full between meals Sugars: Gives you instant energy, but eating too much can be unhealthy

Nutrients Protein Used to build muscle and fight infections

Nutrients Vitamins/Minerals Tells you the % Daily Value for Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron you are getting from the food. Other vitamins and minerals may be included in this section.

Nutrients Total Fat Cholesterol Sodium Nutrients to limit (highlighted in yellow): Total Fat Cholesterol Sodium Nutrients to get enough of (highlighted in blue): Dietary Fiber Vitamins/Minerals

Percent Daily Value (% DV) % DV is based on a 2,000 calorie diet. **Must be stated on all food labels The footnote at the bottom is the same for all products. Some nutrients do not have %DV Trans fat and sugars: eat as little as possible Protein: not a health concern, so it is not %DV is not required

Percent Daily Value (% DV) How to read %DV: Example: Total Carbohydrate is listed as 31 g. The % DV is 10%. This means that by eating one serving of this product, you are consuming 10% of the total amount of carbohydrates you are supposed to have for the day (if you consume 2,000 calories). You would have 90% left over. If you ate the entire container (2 servings), your %DV would be 20%. This means you would have 80% left over.

Some ingredients are hard to read due to the scientific technology. Ingredients are listed in descending order of weight (from most to least). Some ingredients are hard to read due to the scientific technology. Plain Yogurt 

References http://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou/consumers/nflpm/ucm274593.htm