How to Read and Understand a Nutrition Label

Understanding what is in your food is extremely important when purchasing groceries or making meals at home. Become a smart shopper and help feed your family the healthiest meal by reviewing this quick guide on how to read and understand a nutrition label.
You can compare food labels to see which foods are rich in fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamin C as well as search for low-sodium foods and foods that are low in saturated and trans fats.

The first thing to look at is the serving size. It is important to note this because if it states that the serving size is half a cup, and you eat one cup, you are really eating twice the calories, fat, carbohydrates and all other nutritional facts that the label states. Once you know the serving size, you will know the exact amount of nutrients you are putting into your body.

The calories are the first item listed on the nutrition label; this is important for people who are counting calories. After the calories, the fat per calories is listed. Within this section, the nutrition label will tell the consumer how many fat calories are from mono-fats, saturated fats, or trans fats. Mono-fats are the best fats to consume.

The nutrition label also shows the amount of Cholesterol and sodium in the measurement of mg. Total carbohydrates is the next section that states how many carbs are within that serving amount. It is also broken down, like fats, into sub categories. These categories include Dietary fiber and sugars. For people watching their carb intake, it is the sugars they need to be mindful of.  Dietary fibers are the better sub category of carbs. Lastly, there is a section for protein.

Keep in mind that the, fat, total carbohydrates, and protein should all equal the amount of calories per serving after they too are converted into calories. To convert these nutrients into calories instead of grams, follow these steps.

One gram of fat (1g) is equal to 9 fat calories, so if the label states there are 14g of fat per serving, then there are 126 calories of fat in that serving.

One gram of carbohydrate/protein (1g) is equal to 4 calories of carbs/protein. For example if there are 26g total carbs and 4g protein, then there are 104 carbohydrate calories and 16 protein calories. This would mean that the label should show that the added calories of these three categories adds up to the calories per serving; in this case 246 calories per serving.**NOTE: If the calories do not add up (like this label shown) you can call the manufacturer to let them know.  Most times, they will give you free product or coupons to make up for it!**

If this seems like too much work, or too time consuming to do at the grocery store, the nutrition label also as percentages on the right of each category that tells the reader what daily percentage this meal is equivalent to. Keep in mind, that these labels are usually based on a 2000 calorie diet, so if your calorie intake is below or above this number, it is recommended to take the time and do the above calculations.

Nutrition labels will also have a section at the bottom that shows the vitamin percentages for the serving size of that food. This is a good way to see which vitamins you are getting with your diet rather than swallowing with a pill.

(Moved from previous blog)