Starting Out With Reading the Nutrition Facts Label
Reading the Nutrition Facts Label: the few things that matter most, and the mistakes that catch people out early.
The standard FDA panel on packaged foods that lists serving size, calories and key nutrients.
Key takeaways
- Daily Values are based on: a 2,000-calorie daily diet
- 5% Daily Value or less: low in that nutrient
- Most useful single change: Start with the serving size and the number of servings per container.
- Commonest mistake: Assuming the whole package is one serving.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
Why bother
It lets you compare products quickly and keep track of nutrients the Dietary Guidelines advise limiting, such as sodium, saturated fat and added sugars.
Start here
Begin here, with two things rather than ten.
- Start with the serving size and the number of servings per container
- Look for low %DV in sodium, saturated fat and added sugars
Then add these
Next, once the first two have stopped feeling like effort.
- Look for higher %DV in dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium and potassium
- Compare similar products side by side using %DV rather than grams
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Daily Values are based on | a 2,000-calorie daily diet |
| 5% Daily Value or less | low in that nutrient |
| 20% Daily Value or more | high in that nutrient |
| Sodium Daily Value | 2,300 mg |
| Added sugars Daily Value | 50 g |
| Dietary fiber Daily Value | 28 g |
Common early mistakes
- Assuming the whole package is one serving
- Choosing products based only on front-of-package claims such as "natural" or "made with real fruit"
- Focusing only on calories and ignoring sodium and added sugars
Related topics
- The Evidence on Food Labels, Without the Hype (Nutrition)
- Snacking: What Published Guidance Supports (Healthy Recipes)
- Portion Sizes: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Weight Management)
- Childhood Nutrition: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Children's Health)
Where to go next
- A Working Checklist for Reading the Nutrition Facts Label
- Reading the Nutrition Facts Label: Separating Myth From Guidance
- Reading the Nutrition Facts Label — the reference entry
- Food Safety: The Complete Guide
- Safe Home Canning: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
- The Evidence on The Four Steps to Food Safety, Without the Hype
When to speak to a doctor
See your doctor or a registered dietitian for personal targets if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease or a food allergy, since your limits may differ from the label. Call 911 for signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as trouble breathing or swelling of the throat.
Where this comes from
- FDA — How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans — Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.
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