Reading Nutrition Facts Labels

Prior to the year 1990, the year the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) was signed into law, nutrition information was not always required to be put on packaged foods at the grocery store. Before the NLEA, nutrition information was only required on foods that were fortified with vitamins, minerals, or protein. It was not until 1994 that the first nutrition facts label was created, just one year after recommended serving sizes were established in 1993. Fun fact: serving sizes were established not by a recommendation for how much to eat, but by the average amount that people typically consume of that food product at one time. The NLEA required food labels to contain: serving size, number of calories, grams of fat, saturated fat, total carbohydrate, fiber, sugars, protein, milligrams of cholesterol and sodium, and certain vitamins and minerals. Since the creation of the label, only a few revisions have been made. The most recent revision was in January 2020, with the biggest difference being the inclusion of “grams of added sugars”.

So, how do you read and interpret the nutrition facts label?

Serving size: The first step is to look at the serving size at the top of the label. This is because all the information on the label is based on this recommended serving size.

Note: it is not a strict recommendation of how much you should eat or drink.

However, pay attention and take a mental note of how much you are eating or drinking. If you are consuming about double the serving size, then everything on that label is doubled.

Calories: This is the amount of energy you are getting from the product. Calories are calculated from the 3 macronutrients – protein, carbohydrate, and fat. As stated at the bottom of the nutrition facts label, 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Note: calorie needs vary based on age, gender, height/weight, and activity level.

Fun Fact: There are 4 calories per gram for both protein and carbohydrates, and 9 calories per gram for fats.

Fats: Fats are a macronutrient essential for our health, but not all fats are created equally. On the label, “Total Fat” is always bolded, and underneath it is “Saturated Fat” and “Trans Fat”. These fats raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and should be consumed minimally. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken steps to reduce trans fats in the food supply, labeling them as not “Generally Recognized as Safe”. Trans fats should be avoided, as the American Heart Association recommends less than 1% of energy intake be from trans fats. The best way to know if there are trans fats in your food is to look at the ingredients list, where it will say “partially hydrogenated oils”. Saturated fats are more prominent in certain foods and examples include red meats, whole milk dairy products (milk, cheese), butter, pastries/cookies, and coconut and palm oil.

On the other hand, unsaturated fats are healthy fats that can help raise HDL (good) cholesterol. Foods that include unsaturated fats include avocados, olives and olive oil, fatty fish (ex: salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, herring), egg yolks, and nuts and seeds. Aim for more of these in your diet to achieve healthy cholesterol levels.

Cholesterol: Dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol are not one in the same. Dietary cholesterol is found in food, specifically animal-based foods (meats, dairy, eggs). It is especially high in processed meats (ex: hot dogs, sausages). It can also be found in baked goods made with eggs, butter, or cream. There are no longer strict recommendations for dietary cholesterol. It is instead recommended to focus on limiting saturated fats and focus on consuming more plant-based foods and whole grains to achieve an overall healthier diet.

Sodium: Per the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the recommended intake of sodium per day is no more than 2,300 mg/day. For those with high blood pressure (hypertension), congestive heart failure, or chronic kidney disease, daily recommendations are lower at around 1,500 mg/day. Sodium adds up fast as there are typically very high amounts in canned goods, frozen meals, snack foods, and fast food. Look for labels stating “low sodium”, or similar, at the grocery store.

Carbohydrates: This section includes the three types of carbohydrates: sugar, starch, and fiber. Although starches are not listed on the nutrition facts label, they are still included within the bolded “total carbohydrates” number. For example, if total carbohydrates are 34 grams, fiber is 4 grams, and sugars are 12 grams, then there are 18 grams of starch (4+12+18 = 34). Fiber is found in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and it is very beneficial for our digestion, blood sugar management, and heart health.

A newer addition, as of January 2020, is the “added sugars” section, which tells us how many added sugars are included within “total sugars”, as total sugars equals natural sugars (dairy, fruit) and added sugars (sweets, candy, sodas, etc.) For example, if total sugars are 12 grams but added sugars are 10 grams, then only 2 grams of sugar are from a natural source.

Percent Daily Value (% DV): This is the percentage of the daily value for each nutrient in a serving of food. It can show you how much of a nutrient in a serving of a food contributes to a total daily diet, and if a food is high or low in a nutrient. I like to recommend the “5% vs 20% rule” to make smart decisions easier at the grocery store. Any nutrient that is listed at 5% daily value or less is considered a low amount of the nutrient, whereas any nutrient that is listed at 20% daily value is considered a high amount of the nutrient. This tool is valuable when comparing and contrasting different items and brands at a grocery store.

Nutrients to choose less of (<20% DV): Saturated/trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, added sugars.

Nutrients to choose more of (>5% DV): Fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium

For those who are visually impaired, how can you use the label? If you are unable to read the small print but can read it close up, consider bringing a magnifying glass, or use the free “magnifier” app on your iPhone. For Android users, there is a free app called “Visor” that provides you with a magnifying glass straight from your cell phone. For those who cannot see at all, consider bringing a friend of family member as a shopping assistant. Or there is an app called “Be My Eyes” on both iPhone and Android, which can read a nutrition label out loud for you.