How to: Read a Food Label

I recently spoke at a Cardiac Rehab program at the hospital I am an intern at about reading the nutrition label on products. In total, over 2 days, I gave this education piece 8 times!! I went home at the end of both days and didn't want to talk any more because I had talked so much all day. Label reading is an important skill that can help you on your journey to health, so I figured that would put my little education piece into writing so you all can learn a little label reading too! Here's a sample label to reference as we go through the pieces!

Let's start at the top! The number of servings in the container, or bag, or box, is at the top. This means that in this whole box, there are 8 servings and all the information below is based off of one of those servings. Below that we have the serving size, the nutritional information is highly reliant on the serving size. If you wanted more than 2/3 cup, then the nutrition info would have to be increased, and if you wanted less, then the total calories and nutrients will be less than what's listed. 

Now we get to the heart of the information! The calorie content per 2/3c serving is listed in bold, large print so your eye is drawn to it. In our 2/3c, we will get 230 calories. 

Below that is the fat content per serving. In our 2/3c, we will get 8 grams of fat. There are 4 different types of fat, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are the heart healthy fats, while saturated and trans fats are the ones that can cause severe health problems can clog the arteries when eaten in excess. By law, companies do not have to say that there is trans fat in their product if there is less than .5 grams per serving. So, really look at what you're eating is important; if its processed and high in fat, it might have some hidden trans fat. Trans fat is chemically engineered and added to foods to help preserve their flavor and extend their shelf-life. 

% Daily Values are kind of confusing until they are explained! You can see the % Daily Values on the right side of label and they are different for each nutrient. These % are based on a 2000 calorie diet, however most of us don't need 2000 calories a day unless you are very active. Within those 2000 calories, there are certain goals or limits put on each of the nutrients. For example, 80 grams of fat is what the goal, so one serving will provide you 10% of what you need of fat for the day. But because everyone's calories needs are different and most of the time lower than 2000 calories, the percents can be skewed. So that is something to be conscious of. The % Daily Value can 

also be used as part of the product marketing tool. If the % is 20 or above, it can be labeled as a good source of what ever nutrient it is, or high in what ever nutrient. If the % is 5 of lower, it can be labeled as low in, or not a good source of. This product has 45% of the daily value of iron, so it could be labeled as a good source of iron.

Cholesterol is what can really throw someone off. Dietary Cholesterol DOES NOT affect blood cholesterol. Yes, you read that right! What does affect blood cholesterol is
saturated fat. Cholesterol is the carrying molecule of fat, so when a product is high in saturated fat, then it will be high in cholesterol. Its very important to look at the saturated fat content of foods.

Sodium content is also very important when looking at your foods. The current American Heart Association recommendation for sodium is 2000mg/day, which is a teaspoon and a half. However, the average American diet has between 3500mg-5000mg a day of sodium. Excess sodium in your diet can cause swelling, heart disease, and many more issues. We can cut sodium in our diets by rinsing canned vegetables, buying no added salt or no salt added products, and tasting your foods before salting them or seasoning your foods.

Carbohydrates are our main energy source in our diets, so it's especially important to pay attention to when looking at your foods. Starchy foods like pasta, bread, rice and potatoes are naturally high in carbohydrates, so don't be alarmed when you see higher carb content in those items. Also look at the amount of added sugar in the product too; there's a difference between naturally occurring sugar and added sugar. Apples have naturally occurring sugar, but candy and sugary cereals have added sugar to enhance the flavor. Look at your product, look at the added sugar content, and decide if you think there should be added sugar in it. Fiber also technically falls under the carbohydrate classification, but fiber does not get digested so therefore it doesn't provide extra calories. Fiber helps keep food moving through the GI tract.

Protein is the one nutrient that does not have a % daily value and that's because everyone's protein needs are different based on gender, weight, height, activity, age and so on. One realistic goal could be .5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So if you weight 125 pounds, you should aim for 75 grams of protein if you are active and athletic. If you don't work out too often, then I would suggest .3 grams of protein per 1 pound of weight.

The micronutrients at the bottom of the label are important to pay attention to too! Aim for the micronutrients to have at least 20% of the Daily value.

Lastly, when reading the nutrition label you should look at the ingredients lists. The ingredients are listed from highest amount in the product to least. Whole grain/whole wheat products should have Whole Wheat Flour as the first ingredient. Don't be fooled by multigrain products, most of the time they are not whole wheat and just have seeds and nuts added in to look healthier!


Reading the nutrition label is key to knowing what you're putting in your body. After reading this post, you're now able to look at an item and know if it's good for you or if it isn't! 

Source: http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/nutrition/nutrition-facts-and-food-labels/the-basics-of-the-nutrition-facts-panel