How to Read the Nutrition Facts Label

Whenever you purchase packaged food, you’ll notice a label at the back or side of the item.  That’s the Nutrition Facts label, which was given a makeover two years ago to reflect current nutrient and serving size realities.  Below, you can see the old label on the left and the updated label on the right.

The goal of the label is to help us make informed nutrition decisions as we purchase food products.  When people understand the quantity of calories, carbs, sodium, sugar, and protein in food, they should be able to choose their food items wisely.  

Here are four segments of the Nutrition Facts label that merit your attention.

Serving Size

The most important part of the Nutrition Facts label–especially to people who focus more on calories–is the serving size. The new label uses a larger and bolder typeface for the updated serving size.  Manufacturers of food products often strategically focus on the serving size in order to give the sense that the information in the rest of the label is good for the consumer. The thinking is: small serving size=fewer calories/less fat/less carbs. So, for a consumer, focusing on the serving size and number of calories alone is tricky.    

Let’s use as an example these unsalted, roasted cashews from Aldi. 

The serving size is 1 ounce or 28 grams, so everything listed under the number of calories–sodium, fat, cholesterol, carbs, or protein–is based on this serving size of 1 ounce.

The Food and Drug Administration has recognized that “what’s considered a single serving has changed in the decades since the original nutrition label was created. So now, serving sizes will be more realistic to reflect how much people typically eat at one time.”

Here’s an experiment worth trying:  fill a measuring cup with the amount listed for a single serving size. I know I’ve been totally shocked to realize how small a serving can be!  Twenty pieces of these cashews can be consumed literally in the twinkling of an eye, so measure for yourself so that you’re aware of how much of a product you’re really consuming.

Percentage Daily Value

The % Daily Value is based on the recommended daily amount of each nutrient that the average adult needs.  It depicts how the nutrients in a single serving fit into your daily diet.  It’s important to bear in mind that the % Daily Value is a guideline, not a rigid rule.  If an item or category comprises 5% or less of your Daily Value, that’s pretty low.  For example, you’d want the Daily Value to be low for nutrients you don’t want to consume as much, such as saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.  Conversely, a Daily Value of 15%-20% is high and is ideal for foods that are better for you and that you want to consume more, such as fiber, calcium, and Vitamin D. 

Note that not every nutrient has a % Daily Value.  Sometimes you won’t see one for items like cholesterol, sugar, and protein because there’s no agreed-upon “official” % Daily Value for those items. The new Nutrition Facts label does, however, have a % Daily Value for added sugar, and the daily values for all indicators have been updated. 

Body of the label (calories, macronutrients, cholesterol, sodium)

Calories

The number next to the word “calories” (now in a larger and bolder typeface that you can’t miss) is for one serving of the food.  It’s pretty straightforward: in our cashews example, 20 pieces (1 ounce) constitutes 160 calories.  However, if you don’t pay attention to your serving size, you could easily wolf down three or four servings without realizing it and quadruple your caloric intake.  Instead of 160 calories, it would be over 600 of our cashews!  Key point:  the more calories you take in mindlessly, the harder it is to keep your weight and many health variables under control.

Total Fat/Cholesterol/Sodium

Fat, whether saturated or unsaturated–and definitely trans fats–makes you more vulnerable to chronic illnesses such as heart disease and hypertension. The same goes for sodium and cholesterol.  Our nuts, although fat-heavy, are healthy fats and fortunately do not include trans fats. Use monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats more than saturated fats, and go for foods with the lowest possible % Daily Value of cholesterol. Keep an eye on sodium because it’s easy to go overboard with it, especially with packaged foods and restaurant meals.

Total Carbohydrate/Fiber/Added Sugars/Proteins

Carbohydrate in the Nutrition Facts label refers to total carbohydrates and includes fiber, sugar, and nowadays, added sugars. 

Women need between 20 and 25 grams of fiber daily, particularly for weight loss and appetite control, so this is a key figure to keep in mind as you read the Nutrition Facts label.

Added sugars is a well needed and very welcome addition to the Nutrition Facts label, given how much extra sugar most people inadvertently consume.  Added sugars are empty calories and the culprits behind many conditions and illnesses, such as obesity, belly fat, brain fog, depression, and diabetes.  The new label gives us a clear picture of how much added sugar we’re about to dive into so that we can make an informed decision as to whether to proceed.  Keep your added sugars as close to 0% as possible.

Proteins, like calories, are listed pretty straightforwardly. One ounce of our cashews contain 5 grams of protein.

Vitamins and minerals

In the new Nutrition Facts label, there’s a change in the vitamins and minerals that are listed, and the actual amounts of them in each package are clearly stated.  Potassium, calcium, and iron are listed at the bottom of the label; potassium used to be in the middle of the table in the old label.  It continues to be an important mineral, especially for those with diabetes.  Vitamins A and C are optional, but Vitamin D is listed.  Manufacturers have the option to list other vitamins and minerals. 

Use the new nutrition facts label to choose more of the foods that are beneficial, based on the serving size, calories, % Daily Value, and macronutrients.  Conversely, use the label to decrease or eliminate those food items that have less nutritional value.

References:

https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/LabelingNutrition/ucm385663.htm

http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2018/02-mar-apr/changes-are-coming-to-the.html

What do you look for first on the Nutrition Facts label?  What should you be looking for instead?