by Erin Glynn, Ph.D.
Understanding how to read food product labels is an important first step to making healthier food choices. You’ll find a nutrition label on packaged foods, meats, and poultry. This label provides important information about the product’s ingredients and nutritive value. Follow these easy steps to get the most information from your labels.
Serving sizes and servings per container
All of the nutritional information on a label is based on a serving of that product or food, so it’s important to check for what is considered a serving (the “serving size”). In 2020, the FDA updated the standard serving sizes of various foods to be more in line with what people actually eat. You may remember when serving sizes were unrealistic—five chips or a single small cookie. Now, you should see a serving size more in line with how much of the food you’ll likely eat … or at least closer!
You’ll also want to check out the servings per container. If a package contains two servings and you eat the entire package, you'll need to double all the values listed on the label.
Calories
Calories are a measure of how much energy you get from a serving of this food. They are bolded and large, so you can easily see how many calories a serving of the food provides.
You should consider how these calories fit into your overall daily calorie needs. For example, 2,000 calories per day is the generalized number the nutrition label and daily values are based upon. However, you could need more or less than 2,000 calories per day depending on many factors and whether you want to gain, maintain, or lose weight.
If you don’t know your daily calorie needs, check out this short tutorial to find your number.
Percent Daily Value (% DV)
The % Daily Value (% DV) shows how much a particular nutrient in a serving of the food contributes to the daily recommended amount for that nutrient (based on the general nutrition advice of a 2,000-calorie per day diet).
You’ll see the % DV of various nutrients like total fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, and vitamins and minerals in the right-hand column of the panel. For example, the daily value of Vitamin D is 20 micrograms, so a food providing 2 micrograms of vitamin D meets 10% of the recommended amount of vitamin D to consume each day.
Remember, these are estimates based on the general 2,000 calories per day diet. Your nutrient needs may be different based on your gender, age, body weight, and goals. Of note, labeling a % DV for protein is not required. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams protein per kilogram body weight, though experts generally recommended 1-1.6 grams per kg body weight for active and older individuals.
Nutrients to limit
Certain nutrients on the label are nutrients you want to limit due to their potential to harm your health. These include saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, and added sugars. You want to keep an eye on the %DV for these “negative nutrients” and make sure to stay below the daily value. You can do this by aiming to consume foods with low %DVs of these nutrients per serving, which is 5% DV or less.
Nutrients of need
On the other hand, beneficial nutrients like dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium are nutrients most of us need more of. For these types of nutrients, a %DV of at least 10% is considered a “good source” of the nutrient, and a %DV greater than 20% is an “excellent source.”
Ingredient list
The list of ingredients in a food is required, and ingredients are listed in descending order by weight of the ingredients. Seeing ingredients of concern like sugars, oils, or artificial-sounding names near the top of the is your sign to avoid those foods if your goal is improving health.
The take-home
Understanding the serving size, calories, % Daily Value, and key nutrients to limit or consume more of will help you make healthier food choices that align with your nutritional goals. Once you’ve learned how to read a nutrition label, you can quickly spot these items and determine how much of a food you may want to consume based on your goals.
If you’re aiming to lose weight or maintain a healthy body weight, consider how the calories fit into your daily calorie needs, and limit nutrients like excess carbohydrates (particularly added sugar) while prioritizing options with protein, fiber, and healthy fats. If you need an easy add to boost your daily nutrition, check out Unicity’s Complete Meal Replacement.
About the author: Dr. Erin Glynn is a member of the Unicity Scientific Advisory Board. She received her bachelor of science degree in exercise physiology from Texas A&M University, followed by her Ph.D. in preventive medicine and community health from the University of Texas Medical Branch. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Duke University Medical Center, where she focused on the metabolic profiling of metabolic diseases, including obesity and diabetes. Dr. Glynn is an active member of the American Society for Nutrition and the host of the Nuchi Health Podcast, which discusses health, nutrition, and general wellness topics from a scientific perspective. You can find Nuchi Health on social platforms @nuchihealth or listen to the podcast on most major platforms.
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