How to Read Food Labels 101

Nearly every canned or packaged food product sold in grocery stores has a label that lists information such as caloric content, fat content, ingredients, vitamins and minerals. This information can help you make better choices about the kind of food you buy and promote a healthier diet. Reading food labels can be intimidating, but breaking down each section makes the information easier to understand.

Instructions

• 1

  Begin by reading the serving size and servings per container information. For example, a label that reads: "Serving Size 2 Cups," means that this is the suggested standard serving per meal of that product. The servings per container information tells you how many total servings the product contains. You do not have to follow the serving size recommendations, but when you calculate calories, you will need to know what portion of the serving size you consumed.

• 2

  Review the amount of calories per serving and the number of calories derived from fat. Calories provide the energy you need to fuel your body. A label may read: "Calories 300, Calories from Fat 150," which means that there are 300 calories per serving size of that product, and of that 300, 150 calories come from fat. If you consume two servings, you have added 600 calories to your diet, half of which are fat calories. Check your recommended daily caloric intake to gauge whether or not you are eating too many calories.

• 3

  Check the nutrients section, which lists information such as total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, protein, vitamins and minerals. To the right of each item is column that lists a percent of daily value figure. This is a percentage based on the 2,000-calorie diet recommended by the government. For example, a label that reads: "Sodium 500 mg 20%," means that the product contains 500 mg of sodium per serving, which represents 20 percent of the total recommended sodium intake for one day. This section provides information to regulate your consumption. You want to limit total fat, cholesterol and sodium and increase vitamin intake to as close to the 100 percent daily figure as possible.

• 4

  Read the ingredients. Typically, ingredients are labeled from largest to the smallest. For example, a loaf of brown bread might read: "Ingredients: unbleached enriched wheat flour, water, bulgar, sunflower seeds, wheat bran, yeast, granulated sugar, molasses, wheat gluten, soybean oil..." In this case, wheat flour would be the largest ingredient of the bread and is listed first. Some food products will also list allergy warnings that warn you the product contains wheat or soy or nuts.

• 5

  Review the footnote section of the label, which is almost always under the heading, "Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs." Under this heading is information about the total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates and fiber that the government recommends you consume daily. Most products will list this information based on a 2,000 and a 2,500 calorie diet. This is a standard list that is printed on all product labels. For example, under total fat for a day on a 2,000-calorie diet, the government suggests you consume less than 65 grams, and less than 80 grams on a 2,500-calorie diet.