Understanding how to read nutrition labels is essential to making informed dietary choices. Nutrition labels provide important information about what’s in our food and how it affects our health. In fact, they’re one of the best tools consumers can use to choose healthier foods. However, many people aren’t sure what to look for on food labels. A little knowledge goes a long way toward being a savvy consumer. Choosing healthier options becomes easier once you know how to read nutrition labels. Processed foods have become a major part of many people’s diets. While processed foods can make life easier and more convenient, many can be poor choices. Numerous studies have linked unhealthy diets to a greater risk of chronic health problems, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Along with a lack physical activity, poor diets are contributing to a rise in these chronic diseases. Many processed foods are unhealthy because they’re high in calories, added sugars, sodium, and unhealthy fats. Picking healthier processed foods can help improve diet quality. Food labels provide nutrition information for each product and are key to making better choices. The aim of this guide is to help readers understand nutrition labels and how to use the information to choose healthier foods. Having a basic understanding of nutrition labels can take the guesswork out of picking healthier processed foods. In turn, this can lead to better choices and improved diets. Understanding nutrition literacy—the ability to read and understand food labels—is important for public health (G. Moore et al., 2018). Nutrition labels provide a way for consumers to take control of what they eat and empower them to make healthier choices. Rather than blindly picking foods, consumers can become active participants in their nutrition decisions.
Understanding Serving Sizes
Serving size is an essential aspect of nutrition labels. Understanding serving sizes can greatly impact dietary decisions. Most products have a defined serving size; some are more than others. Some products can even go to two or three different serving sizes in one label. Because of this, serving sizes can be easily misunderstood (Yang et al., 2018). It is important to note that serving sizes can vary product by product. For example, a serving size of cereal can be different than a serving size of granola, even if they are similar foods. Sizes can easily range from 1/4 cup to 1 cup. Because nutrition numbers relate directly to serving size, these numbers also vary from product to product. On top of that, a food’s serving size is sometimes hard to see. It is usually in a different font style or size than the food’s name and is accompanied by the word “serving size” and unlike other aspects of the label, serving sizes might not always be standard.
A common misconception about serving sizes is that they are the same as portion sizes. This is false. Portion size refers to the amount of food an individual consumes at one time, while serving size is a standardized measurement indicating how much food should be consumed. For example, a standard serving size of pasta may be one cup, but an individual’s portion may be two cups. While understanding serving sizes is important, it is equally important to keep portion sizes in mind. Some terms to note when looking at serving sizes are “per serving” and “serving size.” “Per serving” indicates the nutrition information as it relates to the individual serving size, while “serving size” is the measurement used to calculate the nutrition information. Serving sizes are usually standardized by the manufacturer who produces the food. The USDA Food Models and Cups recommend serving sizes to producers to make it easier for consumers to understand how much food they should be eating.
To address the confusion surrounding serving sizes, the FDA has regulations in place that standardize some serving size practices. These regulations require each nutrition label to display a serving size in both standard and metric measurements. Standardized measurements include teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, fluid ounces, and numbers. Metric measurements always include grams and milliliters. If consumers ever come upon a food that does not have a serving size that is necessary to calculate, using these regulations, one can replicate the serving size measurement on the label to determine the serving size. For example, if a food label’s serving size is displayed in cups, take a cup measurement that best fits the foods container until the nutrition numbers on the label can be obtained.
Many individuals might intuitively think that calories are calories regardless of serving sizes. However, this is not the case as illustrated by the following example. If food A has 500 calories per serving size of 1 cup and food B has 700 calories per serving size of 1/2 cup, then an individual would actually be consuming 1400 calories if they ate 1 cup of food B. Understanding serving sizes is critical in determining how many calories an individual is actually consuming. Like calorie intake, total nutrient amounts are also based on serving size. Using the first food A and food B example, food A has 35mg of sodium per serving, while food B has 200mg of sodium per serving. To figure out how much sodium an individual is consuming per serving with food B, the calculation is 200mg of sodium per serving size of 1/2 cup. If an individual consumed 1 cup of food B, they would actually be consuming 400mg of sodium. As such, it is important to pay attention to serving sizes when evaluating nutrient intake.
In summary, serving sizes are an important part of nutrition labels. Many foods can have either multiple or unconventional serving sizes, which often makes understanding nutrition numbers difficult. While serving sizes impact how nutrition numbers are viewed, portion sizes also need to be considered. This section should serve as a key foundation piece to better understanding nutritional information and how it relates to diet. Thus, the reader should now understand what serving sizes are and how to evaluate them on a food label, the implications of serving sizes on calorie and nutrient intake, and the general standardized serving size practices and regulations.
Interpreting the Nutritional Information
Decoding nutritional labels is essential for achieving dietary goals, whether it involves weight loss, weight gain, or simply eating healthier. These labels provide a breakdown of what each food item contains, enabling consumers to select better products. By reading the nutritional information, it becomes possible to assess the food’s quality, rather than just its quantity. In addition to ingredients, every packaged food must display a nutritional panel that briefly states an item’s caloric and nutritional makeup. The format in which this information is provided is standardized, making it easy to interpret. This panel outlines calories, fat, carbohydrates, sugars, protein, and salt content, along with percentages representing the daily recommended intake of these elements. While these nutritional components are straightforward to analyze, they require context to understand their implications. Thus, deciphering the nutritional information is largely a matter of education and practice (Beth Burghardt, 2014).
Beginning with the most prominent element, calories refer to the energy level of the food. This can represent either a high or low energy food, depending on the serving size. Usually, lower-calorie foods are more desirable, particularly for those aiming to reduce weight. However, it is crucial to remember that some foods with higher calories may be healthier than lower-calorie foods if they contain better quality nutrition. Next comes fat, which is often viewed negatively, but fat should not be completely avoided as it is essential for good health. The key is differentiating between good and bad fat. Saturated and trans fats are considered bad and should be limited, while polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are good fats that are needed. The same goes for sugars; naturally occurring sugars are better than added sugars. Sugar content is usually broken down into total sugars and added sugars. Similarly, protein and carbohydrate contributions are essential for health but should be consumed in moderation. High sodium levels are not desirable, but salt is needed in a diet. It is just a matter of how much salt is in the food. Lastly, added sugars should comprise less than 10% of total energy intake or around 50g for a 2000-calorie diet. However, many packaged foods have more than 10g of added sugar in a single serving. Thus, it is crucial to be more aware of daily intake rather than just what is consumed. Ideally, the goal should be to limit these nutritional components rather than reading them positively. Still, it is essential to keep in mind that all this information and analysis should always be referred to in the context of balanced diet.
Decoding Ingredient Lists
The ingredient list tells you what is in the product. Ingredients are listed in order from the most to the least that are present by weight. Keeping an eye on ingredient lists is crucial for identifying what is actually in the food you eat. If it’s a whole food, such as a carrot or apple, it won’t have an ingredient list. But if it’s processed in any way, it’s key to understanding what that food really is (Daly-Koziel et al., 2009).
Mysterious additives can be found in processed foods. If you’re unsure about what something is or if it’s pronounceable, it’s a safe bet to say it’s likely an additive, preservative, or filler. Try to avoid products with long, hard-to-pronounce ingredient lists. These are usually signs of extreme processing. Allergens are highlighted in the ingredient list. The following allergens must be declared: – Peanuts and soybeans – Tree nuts – Fish – Crustaceans – Milk – Eggs – Wheat – Gluten. They are highlighted by being written in bold. Products may also include precautionary statements like “may contain trace amounts of peanuts.” It’s a good idea to heed those warnings.
Be aware of whole foods vs. highly processed ingredients. If the ingredient list is a short one, and everything on it is whole food (e.g., carrots, spices) it’s probably a good choice. If there are many ingredients, and they’re hard to picture in their whole form, such as maltodextrin or cellulose gum, it’s probably best to avoid it. Sugar often appears in many different forms on ingredient lists. There are dozens of names for sugar, such as cane syrup, fructose, and molasses. A good rule of thumb is if sugar appears twice on an ingredient list, it’s likely it’s very high in sugar. Artificial flavors are usually a sign of very processed food. Generally, if you see “natural flavors,” it’s likely that they’re not so natural. Partially hydrogenated oils mean there are trans fats in the product. Trans fats are very harmful and should be avoided at all costs.
If an ingredient list has a long list of ingredients, with one of them being “trans-fat free margarine,” it’s likely the product is highly processed and should be avoided. Knowing what to look for with ingredient lists allows the reader to make choices based on the quality of ingredients rather than the quantity. Being ingredient conscious leads to clearer understanding and healthier eating.
Identifying Key Nutrients and Daily Values
In addition to the calories and serving size of the food, the food label provides information about key nutrients and their daily values (DVs). Nutrients that are generally considered important for maintaining health are called key nutrients. DVs are provided for key nutrients to serve as guidelines for how much of a nutrient you should strive to get in your diet or a dietary limit you should not exceed. Nutrients essential to a balanced diet for proper functioning of the body and prevention of diseases are usually considered key nutrients, including: vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, protein, and fatty acids. Health problems can result from too much or too little intake of key nutrients (Daly-Koziel et al., 2009). Some key nutrients can help reduce the risk of some diseases and conditions, including: vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron and dietary fiber. Eating enough of these nutrients can improve health and help reduce the risk of some diseases and conditions.
The food and nutrition board recommends the daily values of key nutrients. On the food label, the percentage of daily value (%DV) of each nutrient contained in the food is provided. Foods that contain 20% DV or more of a nutrient are considered high in that nutrient. If you are interested in getting enough of the nutrient in your diet, you should choose foods that are high in that nutrient. On the other hand, foods that contain 5% DV or less of a nutrient are considered low in that nutrient (C. Newman et al., 2020). If you are trying to limit your intake of that nutrient, you should choose foods that are low in that nutrient. There are some nutrients that are often under-consumed in diets, including: dietary fiber and potassium. Therefore, dietary fiber and potassium are considered nutrients of concern in the diets. Although these nutrients are often under-consumed in diets, sodium, saturated fat and added sugars are often over-consumed in diets. These nutrients are therefore considered to total limits in the diets. The amount of key nutrients listed on the food label is based on the serving size for that food as previously mentioned.
Putting It All Together: Making Informed Choices
Now that readers know how to read nutrition labels, it’s time to use that knowledge to make informed choices about the food they eat. Nutrition labels are legal requirements for packaged foods in many countries, including the U.S. A nutrition label provides important information about the nutritional quality of a product, so it is in consumers’ best interest to read them. Upon first glance, nutrition labels can appear straightforward. But there is more than meets the eye, and it’s important to know how every part of a nutrition label works together. Each part of a nutrition label brings something important to the table, and understanding how they connect can help when making food choices. Everything begins with the serving size, which sets the framework for understanding a label. The servings per container tells how many servings are in a package, while the serving size indicates how much of the product counts as one serving. Nutrition information is based entirely on the serving size, so to accurately interpret the nutritional information, one must always be aware of it. Next to the serving size is a list of calories, which measures how much energy a food provides. Reading the serving size and calories together helps with understanding how much energy people consume compared to how much energy they expend (Beth Burghardt, 2014). After serving sizes come the nutrients. There are both “nutrients to limit” and “nutrients to seek.” The nutrients to limit are things America eats too much of, while the nutrients to seek are things America does not get enough of. After the nutrient section is the percent daily values, which tells how a product fits into the daily diet. This is a simple way to evaluate a food’s nutrient content, showing how much of a nutrient is in a serving compared to how much is needed in total. Lastly, a food label includes an ingredient list, which lists everything that makes up a product. Ingredients are listed in order of quantity, starting with what is most heavily used and ending with what is used the least (Daly-Koziel et al., 2009). Now that readers know how to interpret a food label, they can put that knowledge into action. When at the grocery store, consumers should select items after reading the label rather than choosing items and reading labels later. Ideally, consumers will pick healthier items more often after reading their labels. When choosing between two brands, look at the nutrition labels. If choosing between two similar options, always go with the food that is higher in nutrients to seek and lower in nutrients to limit. When reading labels, pay particularly close attention to fiber, saturated fat, sugars, protein, and sodium. Relying on just one or two of these can lead to poor choices, so use all of them. Beyond the grocery store, it is important to read labels when eating out too. Many restaurants publish food label information, even if it is not posted on the menu. Taking time to read through nutrition labels can lead to better food choices, but it is also essential to keep moderation in mind. For example, if a person sees they can fit a donut into their daily values, it does not mean they should eat it. Balance is also important; just because a person ate well for breakfast does not mean they should eat poorly for lunch. It is important to maintain a balanced diet. Just as reading labels can lead to healthier choices, neglecting to read them can lead to poor choices. This is often the case when buying prepackaged foods for convenience. Read the label; it is surprising how often the healthiest option is the least marketed one. In general, just be mindful of what is being eaten. This is particularly important for those with specific health concerns, as they may need to pay attention to particular nutrients. Reading food labels may seem tedious, but taking the time to do so can greatly improve nutritional intake.