Of course you know how to read….but do you
know how to interpret and use what you
are reading when you look at a nutrition
label? While this information is very useful and important, it can also be complicated.
Each section of a nutrition label provides you with facts to help you know if the product is providing you with enough of what you need or too much of what you don’t. Whether you are counting calories, limiting fats or carbs, or trying to reduce your sodium or sugar intake, the label can help you make good choices!
When teaching others how to read labels, I have found some great resources that explain and illustrate(PDF) what each section of the label tells us.
Understanding what to eat is important to good health….understanding how much to eat is equally important. Serving size is located at the top of the nutrition label for a very good reason. This information lets you know how many servings are in the container, box, or bag. If you eat the entire box by yourself, you need to account for all of the calories, fats, carbs, sugars, etc. that are in the entire box! Example: a can of soup may contain 2½ servings, so if you eat all of it….you need to multiple each amount by two and half to know exactly what you have just ate. This can be very eye opening when you calculate what you are taking in!
You should also be aware of the ingredient list on the label. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight from most to least. Pay close attention to the first few ingredients listed.
This last resource explains food product labels(PDF) and what is permitted on them by the FDA.
