How to read nutrition labels | Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Browsing the shelves of a grocery store can feel like there are endless choices and perhaps an overwhelming amount of information to consider when making a selection. There are a variety of reasons people look at food labels, and understanding the information on nutritional information on packaged foods and beverages can help you make quick, informed food choices.
What you should know on the nutrition label
serving size
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The serving size on a nutrition label is based on the amount people typically consume of that product. Serving size is not a guide to how much you should eat or drink as everyone’s needs are different. It’s important to pay attention to serving size, however, since all of the information on the label, from calories to nutrient amounts, is based on one serving of the product. Looking at the servings per container is also helpful as you will know how many servings are in that pack.
amount of calories
This section tells you the total number of calories, or energy, consumed from all sources in one serving of the food. Carbohydrates, fat and protein are all sources of calories in food. Keep in mind that the number of calories you consume depends on how much of the product you actually eat. In this example label, 1 serving or ⅔ of a cup of this food provides 230 calories. If you eat two servings, the number of calories provided by the food you eat is 460 calories.
nutrient
You can use this information on the label to support your individual dietary needs. Look for foods that contain more of the nutrients you want to get more of and less of the nutrients you may want to limit. For example, you might be interested in reducing the amount of saturated fat or added sugar in your diet, or trying to get more fiber or calcium.
percent daily value
Daily Values (DV) are reference amounts that tell you whether a portion of a food is low or high in this nutrient. A general guideline when looking at Percent Daily Values is that if a serving of a food contains 5% DV or less of a nutrient, that food is considered low in that nutrient. If a serving of food contains 20% DV or more of a nutrient, that food is considered rich in that nutrient.
footnote
The footnote is used to explain the percentage daily values.
Changes to nutritional labeling
You may have noticed some slight changes to the nutritional information on products over the last few years. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated the nutrition label and requires that the label on all food packaging be changed. Here is a quick overview of some of the most important changes:
- serving size, The number of servings per container and calories are now in larger and bolder fonts, and the default serving sizes have been updated to better reflect the amounts normally consumed.
- calories from fat was removed from nutrition labeling because research shows that the type of fat consumed is more important than the amount.
- added sugar must now be listed on the nutrition label. Note that added sugars are included in total sugars in grams. For example, if a product lists 15 grams of total sugars and has 7 grams of added sugars, that means a serving of that food or drink has 8 grams of naturally occurring sugars plus 7 grams of added sugars, for a total of 15 grams of sugar.
- List of nutrients that are required or allowed on the label has been updated. For example, vitamin D and potassium are now required to be listed on the label because Americans are not always getting the recommended amounts. In the meantime, vitamins A and C are no longer needed, since a deficiency in these vitamins is now rare.
Learn more to win a gift card
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