What To Look Out For: Reading Nutrition Labels
Reading nutrition labels can be a game changer when it comes to making healthier food choices. But while they’re packed with valuable information, they can also be a bit overwhelming if you don’t know how to read them. Whether you’re aiming to eat better, manage a health condition, or simply be more mindful of your nutrition, understanding how to interpret these labels is essential.
Serving Size
When you’re looking at a nutrition label, one of the most important things to look at is the serving size. This is because all the information provided – such as calories, total fat, and protein – is based on the serving size, not the entire contents of the package. Understanding this and doing any applicable math is key to understanding what you’re consuming.
Let’s say you purchase a container of mashed potatoes. Each serving is 1 cup, and there are 4 servings (i.e., cups) in the package. If the nutrition label indicates that there are 200 calories and 7 grams of total fat per serving, that means per 1 cup. If you eat half the container (2 cups or 2 servings in this example), you’d be consuming 400 calories and 14 grams of fat. If you ate the entire container, you’d be consuming 800 calories and 28 grams of fat.
Daily Value
In addition to quantities of each nutrient, you’ll notice a percentage in the right column – this is the percent daily value (%DV). It shows how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to the total daily diet based on a 2,000-calorie intake. It’s important to note that everyone’s caloric and nutrient needs are different, so it’s always a good idea to consult with your healthcare provider for personalized recommendations. Generally, a %DV of 5% or less for a nutrient per serving is considered low, while a %DV of 20% or more is considered high. Typically, you want to find foods that have a lower %DV in nutrients like saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars and a higher %DV in nutrients like dietary fiber, vitamin D, iron, potassium, and calcium.
Ingredient List
Did you know that the list of ingredients on a nutrition label is arranged in a specific order? Ingredients are listed from the highest to the lowest amount. This knowledge can help you make healthy choices when shopping. For example, if one of the first ingredients listed is sugar (which could be labeled as high-fructose corn syrup, molasses, or sucrose), you may want to reconsider if a healthier version is available.
Turning Knowledge Into Action
Now that you know how to break down the key components of a nutrition label, it’s time to put that knowledge into action! By paying attention to the details, you’ll be better equipped to make food choices that support your health goals. Easily log your food in your Motivation Alliance portal to get a detailed breakdown of calories and nutrients. If you often cook your own snacks/meals or notice a product you buy isn’t already in the database, you can even add your own custom food.
Already track this in another app like MyFitnessPal? No problem! Simply navigate to Connections in the right-hand menu to connect your account and seamlessly sync your data.
If your Motivation Alliance account offers Diet ID, it’s a great tool to get an assessment of your diet quality and recommendations on how to make easy and healthy decisions.
Knowing how to read nutrition labels is an essential step in understanding what you’re putting into your body and how to eat well. By paying attention to a product’s nutrition facts, you can make decisions that align better with your personal health goals. It’s also important to remember that nutrition is not one-size-fits-all. What works for someone else may not be right for you, so always take into account your own dietary needs and consult a healthcare professional if you have specific health concerns.
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Resources:
American Diabetes Association. (n.d.). Reading Food Labels. American Diabetes Association. https://diabetes.org/food-nutrition/reading-food-labels/making-sense-food-labels
American Heart Association. (2023, August 3). Understanding Food Nutrition labels. American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/understanding-food-nutrition-labels
FDA. (2024a, March 5). How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/how-understand-and-use-nutrition-facts-label
FDA. (2024b, March 5). The Lows and Highs of Percent Daily Value on the Nutrition Facts Label. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/lows-and-highs-percent-daily-value-nutrition-facts-label
Disclaimer:
We want you to be well and to live your best life. The content in this blog is provided for the purposes to educate and entertain you: our very important reader. It is not intended as medical advice or as substitute for medical advice from a trained healthcare professional.
If you have a medical condition or are under the care of a medical provider, please always seek the advice of a qualified medical professional before undertaking a new health care regimen. To that point, never disregard medical advice or delay treatment for a medical condition because of something you read on this site.
Listen to your care providers as they know you and your conditions best. Thank you for reading!
The Team at BSDI