How to Compare Nutrition Labels

Standard nutrition labels were established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in an effort to promote consumer awareness of the nutritional value of food products. Learning to read standard nutrition labels allows consumers to compare different food products and make healthy food choices. The information presented on a standard nutrition label includes the serving size of the product, the calories, the unhealthy components, the healthy components, the percentage of daily value, and the ingredients.

Instructions

• 1

  Determine the serving size of the product. Serving sizes are provided in familiar units, such as ounces, cups, or pieces. When comparing products, make sure you are comparing equal amounts of each product. For example, you may wish to compare the nutritional value of white rice, with the nutritional value of brown rice. If the serving size on the package of white rice is ½ cup, and the serving size on the package of brown rice is 1 cup, you must double the serving size and nutritional amounts on the label of the white rice in order to make an accurate comparison.

• 2

  Compare the amount of calories in an equal-size serving of each product. The caloric value of the product is indicated just underneath the serving size on the container. If you have to adjust the serving size in order to compare equal amounts of each product, you must adjust the amount of calories accordingly. Using the rice example above, you would have to double the amount of calories on the serving of the white rice to compare it to the serving of brown rice.

• 3

  Evaluate the nutritional value of the product by looking at the amount of unhealthy components in the food. A list of unhealthy components is located on the food label, just underneath the amount of calories. The unhealthy ingredients such as fat, cholesterol, and sodium are listed next because Americans generally consume enough or an excess amount of these items. These items should be consumed in a limited amount.

• 4

  Consider the healthy components in the product. This information is located underneath the unhealthy components on the nutrition label. Items that may fall under this category include dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, and protein. These are nutrients that most Americans may not consume in adequate quantities.

• 5

  Notice the percentage of daily value listed on the label. These percentages are based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. The percentages allow you to easily compare the same nutrient in two different products. For example, if you are looking for a product that is high in dietary fiber, you can easily choose a product, by selecting the product with a higher percentage. Also note that some nutrients, such as calcium, are listed only by percentage of daily value. On nutrition labels, the percentage of daily value of calcium is based on a daily value of 1,000 milligrams. With this knowledge, you can quickly calculate that a product, with 30 percent of the daily value of calcium, has 300 milligrams of calcium.

• 6

  Examine the ingredients contained in the product. A standard nutrition label includes a list of each and every ingredient contained in the product. This can be particularly useful, if you are concerned with a food allergy. Common allergens can be determined with a quick glance, because they are listed in bold print below the all-inclusive list of ingredients.