1. Nutrition Labels
How to Read Them

2. What We’ll Cover Serving Size Servings per Package Calories
Calories from Fat
Percent Daily Value
Total Fat
Saturated Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Potassium
Carbohydrates
Protein
Vitamins & Minerals
Freshness
Ingredients
“Low Fat”

3. Introduction Interpret the print on the package
"Nutrition Facts" is part of a food label
Find out how much fat, protein, & fiber
Breakdown of nutritional content facts
Regulated by law - the same format everywhere
Easy to compare foods
Make informed choices about what you're eating
Decide how this fits into your eating plan

4. Serving Size Amount that the average person eats at one helping
Expressed in kitchen terms - cups, spoons, slices, & grams
Set by the F.D.A. not by manufacturer
You can make comparisons without having to do math
Your average serving may be more or less than this amount

5. Servings per Package How many servings the package contains
Compare similar products on the basis of cost per serving
This number times the serving size be the total volume of the package

6. Calories The number of calories per serving
Adjust if your serving size is different
Compare the nutrient values to total calories of the same size

7. Calories from Fat How many calories in each serving are from fat
Use this & the "Total Fat"
Decide if the food fits your goals for fat consumption
You want to eat fat sparingly or not at all

8. Percent Daily Value
Percentage recommended daily amount of each nutrient
(fats, carbs, proteins, major vitamins, & minerals)
Each serving, based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet
Adjust this value proportionally
Average woman needs about 2,000 calories per day
Average man needs around 2,500 to 2,800
An athlete may burn between 3,000 to 4,000 per day
For adults and children four years of age or over
Cannot be applied to infants or children under four

9. Total Fat How many grams of fat in one serving
What percent this is of the recommended daily value
Factory fats ("hydrogenated" & "partially hydrogenated") must be listed in the total fat

10. Saturated Fat Subheading under "Total Fat"
How much of the fat in each serving is saturated fat
What percent this is of your daily recommended value
Current recommendations are that less than one-third of the fat in your diet should come from saturated fat

11. Cholesterol How many milligrams of cholesterol
Percent this is of the recommended daily value
Cholesterol-raising fats ("partially hydrogenated")
Hydrogenated fats can be hazardous to your health

12. Sodium & Potassium Sodium is a "salt"
Recommended daily value is less than 2,400 mg. a day
Potassium
Recommended daily value is 3,500 mg. a day

13. Total Carbohydrates How many grams of carbohydrates in each serving
Percentage of the Daily Value this represents
Includes starches, complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, added sugar sweeteners, & non-digestible additives
Dietary fiber: Grams of fiber in each serving
Sugars: Grams of added sweeteners, which may appear in the ingredients list as: sugar, corn syrup, honey, brown sugar
Other carbohydrates: Grams of complex carbohydrates, not including fiber, but including non-digestible additives, such as stabilizers and thickening agents

14. Protein How many grams of protein are in each serving
The percent DV is missing from the protein label
Protein insufficiency is not a problem
Average daily protein requirement for most people would be between 50 & 75 grams a day
A serving that contains three grams of protein would give you around four to six percent of the DV for protein

15. Vitamins & Minerals
The percentage of the recommended daily allowance for vitamins A and C, calcium, & iron in each serving
May provide significant amounts of other vitamins and minerals, which may also be listed, though not required by law

16. Freshness Look for & read the "use by" date on packages
Perishables, meat & poultry, & dairy products
Check "on sale" items carefully

17. Ingredients What ingredients the food contains
Listed in order, starting with the largest amount, by weight
May be the most important information on the box to someone with food allergies
Be aware of the effect of food colors or preservatives
Find out if a food contains eggs, soy, milk, corn, or whatever you must avoid eating

18. Ingredients Critical to know the lingo
Casein, caseinate, lactalbumin, whey or whey solids are all derived from cow's milk
Albumin comes from eggs
Dextrose & glucose may originate in corn
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein starts with soybeans
Some of the products used to thicken or stabilize food texture, such as acacia gum, are legume products

19. Low Fat Desserts Manufacturer may replace fat by adding more sugar
"Low-fat" is not the same as "low-calorie"
Various kinds of sugar are included on the ingredients list
Ketchup should contain mainly tomatoes - sugar should NOT be first on the ingredient list
A cereal in which sugar is the first, second, or third ingredient, would certainly be less nutritious than one in which two or three types of grains are listed before the sugar
Check the ingredients list, even of foods you buy regularly
Recipes change & some changes may make the food less acceptable to you than it once was

20. Conclusion You are what you eat Eat carefully
Source -
Questions?