Reading Food Labels

All packaged foods must bear a food label with nutrition facts. The following acts as a guide to understanding these food labels:

Serving size

The nutrition information listed on the label is for the given serving size, usually given in gram weight. The number of servings per container is also listed.

Calories/Calories from fat

The calories are listed per serving. Calories from fat is the amount of fat calories in each serving. Foods with less than 1/3 of their calories from fat are good fat choices.

% Daily value

% Daily value shows the percentage of the suggested daily intake provided by one serving for a 2000-calorie daily diet. This calorie amount may not be consistent with your needs, in which case the % daily value given will not be useful.

Total fat

The total fat lists the grams of fat per serving and consists of saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Foods containing less than three grams of total fat per serving are considered low-fat foods. A higher intake of monounsaturated fat versus saturated- or polyunsaturated-fat grams may be beneficial to your good cholesterol.

Cholesterol

Dietary cholesterol is found only in animal foods and 300 mg or less per day is recommended.

Sodium

Sodium intake of no more than 3000 mg a day is suggested. If you have high blood pressure, sodium intake may need to be limited to less than 2400 mg a day. Another thing to know is that one teaspoon of salt contains 2300 mg of sodium.

Total carbohydrate

Total carbohydrate includes the dietary fiber and sugar. When counting carbohydrates, use the grams given as total carbohydrate. Sugar has not been shown to raise blood sugar higher than other carbohydrates. The listed sugar grams are only part of the total amount of carbohydrate that affects blood sugar.

Dietary fiber

Eating a diet high in dietary fiber is recommended for a healthy diet. Twenty to 35 grams per day of dietary fiber is suggested.

Protein

Protein is needed for growth and maintenance. The average intake of protein is 12 to 20% of calories. Animal protein sources contain saturated fat and cholesterol.