How to Read Nutritional Labels

Nutrition Facts labels contain a detailed analysis of a specific food product and hold nutrition recommendations from the Institute of Medicine of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. The goal of Nutrition Facts labels is to make it easier on the average consumer to monitor his recommended daily intake of nutrients. To understand nutrition labels, you must first take an interest in what your body needs to function properly, and what and how much you eat everyday. There are many diets advertised, but a good rule for navigating through the maze of options is to follow USDA guidelines for a balanced diet in every meal. A balanced diet consists of: carbohydrates from fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and grains; protein from lean meat, fish, beans, eggs, and dairy products; and fat, preferably from unsaturated fats, found in fish, nut, and vegetable oil.

Instructions

• 1

  Learn about serving size. Every type of food or beverage has a serving size. Contrary to popular belief, the serving size does not tell you how much of a particular food you should eat. The serving size is a guide to help you determine how many calories and nutrients are in a specific quantity of that food. Measurements of grams and cups are abstract and hard to remember, so use your hand to visualize serving sizes. Your thumb is about the size of 1 ounce of food. Your palm is about the size of 3 ounces of food or 1 serving of meat/fish. Your fist is equivalent to 1 cup or 8 ounces. The tip of your thumb is the same size as a teaspoon; this is a good way to keep track of fat portions, such as the amount of margarine that counts as 1 serving.

• 2

  Look at the bottom part of the Nutrition Facts label containing a footnote with daily recommendations for fat and carbohydrate intake, based on a 2,000 calorie diet and a 2,500 calorie diet. Your values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs. The Daily Percent Values (DV’s) listed for the nutrients only refer to a 2,000 calorie diet.A calorie is a unit of measure for energy the body obtains from food. So what might be a lot of calories for one person, can be very few for another, because calories consumed or burnt have to be seen in relation to your daily caloric consumption. For instance, if you eat 1,800 calories, a meal of 600 calories makes up a third of your daily intake. If you eat 5,000 calories, 600 calories make up only about 10 percent. Although your caloric intake as well as the composition of your diet depends on your lifestyle and genetics, as a general rule, the more active you are, the more you need to eat. Consult with your doctor, nutritionist, or personal trainer to determine your daily nutritional needs and personal diet. According to USDA guidelines, the average woman (19 to 50 years old) should consume 1,600 to 2,200 calories a day, with very active women and athletes consuming up to 5,000 calories a day. For men, the average lies between 2,200 to 2,800 calories, with active men and athletes consuming 4,000 to 8,000 calories and more.

• 3

  See macronutrients listed in grams per serving on the nutritional label. Carbohydrates, protein, and fat are called macronutrients, because they provide our body with energy in the form of calories. How do grams per serving relate to calories? One gram of fat contains 9 calories. One gram of protein or carbohydrates contains 4 calories. So when you see “Calories from fat” on the label, it tells you how many calories fat makes up in 1 serving of that particular food. Divided by 9, you get the amount of fat in grams.

• 4

  View four types of fats listed on most nutritional labels. All cells in our body contain fat. Fats are responsible for lubricating the joints, and also produce hormones.Saturated fats are “bad fats,” associated with high cholesterol and heart disease, and commonly found in animal products or hydrogenated vegetable oils, such as palm kernel oil or coconut oil. Trans fats are also “bad fats.” In the 1980’s, manufacturers found a way to use polyunsaturated fats (see below) in a way that gave them the property of saturated fats through partial hydrogenation. Hydrogenation creates firmer fat (margarine). In the process, chemical bonds are altered. Studies of the America Heart Association have confirmed that trans fats raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are “good fats.” They may lower blood cholesterol levels and are found in fish, nuts and vegetable oils.Cholesterol comes from two sources. Your body and food. You body produces its own cholesterol, which plays an important part in producing cell membranes and some hormones, and serves other needed bodily functions. Food sources of cholesterol can be found in high-fat meat, poultry and dairy products, and egg yolks. Too much cholesterol in the blood is a major risk for coronary heart disease, so USDA recommends to stay under 300 mg of cholesterol for a 2,000 calorie diet. Sodium is also listed under fats. Sodium is contained in table salt. According to the National Institute of Health, most people in the U.S. get more sodium in their diets than they need. Doctors recommend you eat less than 2.4 grams per day. That amounts to 1 teaspoon of table salt a day. Too much sodium may increase your risk of certain chronic diseases, like heart disease, some cancers or high blood pressure.

• 5

  Notice carbohydrates on the label. The body’s main source of energy, carbohydrates are stored in the muscles, (or if you consume too much of them, they are converted into fat.) There are complex and simple carbohydrates. The majority of your daily intake should come from complex carbohydrates. Sources of complex carbohydrates can be found in fiber-rich whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Sources of simple carbohydrates can be found in fruit, and milk products, and also in processed and refined sugars such as candy, table sugar, syrups, and soft drinks. Dietary Fibers are a substance found in fruits, vegetables and grains. They aid digestion by bulking up your diet and help control your weight. The USDA recommended daily intake of fiber is 25 grams for a 2,000 calorie diet. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate contained in food.

• 6

  Locate the amount of protein. Every tissue in our body muscle (hair, skin, nails, etc) consists of protein. Protein contains the building blocks of lean muscle tissue. Without protein, building muscle and burning fat would be impossible. Sources of animal protein include lean red meat, poultry, fish and eggs. Sources of vegetable protein include beans, nuts and whole grain. The U.S. Institute of Medicine recommends that adults get a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight from various sources.

• 7

  Find the micronutrients and minerals below the thick black line on the nutrition label. The daily percent value of minerals and vitamins are listed, based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Micronutrients don’t provide the body with energy, but they play a very important role in helping convert the food we eat into hormones, tissues and energy. Because so many minerals and vitamins have been lost out of our food, it’s almost impossible to meet our daily need of vitamins and minerals through food alone, so a multivitamin/mineral formula is advisable. USDA considers vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron the most important micronutrients––all of them are deficient in most American diets.