How do I read the Nutrition Facts panel?

If you are like most of today’s food shoppers, you are more likely than ever to read food labels when grocery shopping. That’s the good news. The not-so-good news is that you might be overwhelmed by all of the information listed on the Nutrition Facts panel.

The first items to look at on the Nutrition Facts panel are “serving size” and “servings per container.” The calorie and nutrition information is based on the serving size. For example, a serving size may be listed as 4 ounces and contain 14 grams of fat. If you eat 8 ounces, that’s two servings and you will consume 28 grams of fat.

The Nutrition Facts panel clearly states the calories contained in the food item. Again, be sure to note the increased calories if you increase your serving size. “Calories from fat” does not indicate the total calories in a serving — it is only the number of calories that come from fat.  

Other important nutrition facts to check:

Total fat. Most Americans need 40-60 grams of fat each day, or about 25-35 percent of total daily calories from fat. Just below “total fat” are “saturated fat” and “trans fat.” It is best to keep your intake of saturated and trans fats as low as possible. These fats can increase your “bad” cholesterol, also known as LDL cholesterol. 

Cholesterol. Blood cholesterol levels (especially “bad” cholesterol) are affected more by the type of fat you eat than by the amount of cholesterol the food contains. Eating saturated and trans fats will raise blood cholesterol levels. If your cholesterol is high, limit high-cholesterol foods that contain saturated and trans fats.

Sodium. Sodium intake is of particular interest to those with high blood pressure. Anyone with heart, liver, or kidney disease may also need to limit the amount of sodium (salt) they use. The highest daily sodium intake considered acceptable by the National High Blood Pressure Education Program and the 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans is 2,300 mg/day. Foods labeled as “low sodium” must contain no more than 140 milligrams of sodium in the serving size specified on the label. For those with hypertension and some other conditions, the DASH-Sodium diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) recommends less than 1500 mg sodium per day.

Total carbohydrates. Many people with diabetes use this information to help them manage their blood glucose levels. “Sugars” and “dietary fiber” are also listed and are part of the total carbohydrate amount. “Sugars” include naturally occurring sugars (like those in fruit and milk), as well as those added to a food or drink. All carbohydrates, with the exception of dietary fiber, will break down into glucose (a form of sugar). Most people do not get the recommended daily amount of dietary fiber, which is 25 grams.  Protein. Getting adequate protein is not a problem for the average American. For most Americans, a general guideline is to eat 5 to 7 ounces of meat or other protein per day.

Other nutrients. Most Americans do not get enough of the next four nutrients listed: vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron. For this reason, they are given special attention on the food panel to help consumers determine if the food is a good source of these nutrients.

Along the right side of the panel, you will see the “% Daily Value” column. These percentages are based on a 2,000 calorie/day diet. In general, for any individual nutrient, 5 percent of the daily value is low and 20 percent of the daily value is high.

Understanding the Nutrition Facts panel is one of the keys to good health. The more you know about the nutritional content of each food item, the better you will be at making healthy choices.