Reading Nutrition Labels

The US Nutrition Facts label (updated format, mandatory since 2020) is the fastest way to evaluate a packaged food. Read it in order:

1. Serving size and servings per container. Every number on the label is per serving — a small package may hold 2–3 servings, multiplying the calories you actually eat. Check this first.
2. Calories per serving. The headline number for energy balance (see calorie-targets).
3. Nutrients to limit: saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars (see dietary-fats, sodium, added-sugars). "Added Sugars" is now listed separately under Total Sugars.
4. Nutrients to get enough of: dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium.
5. % Daily Value (%DV): how much one serving contributes to a 2,000 kcal reference day. Rule of thumb: 5% DV or less is low; 20% DV or more is high for a nutrient.
6. Ingredient list: ordered by weight (most first). Short lists of recognizable foods generally beat long lists with multiple sugars and additives (see processed-foods).

Watch for marketing on the front of the package ("natural," "low-fat," "made with whole grain") — these are weakly regulated; the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredient list are the reliable sources. Compare similar products side by side using per-serving (or per-100 g) values.

• Read serving size first — all values are per serving.
• Then calories; limit saturated fat, sodium, added sugars (now listed separately).
• Aim to get fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium.
• %DV: ≤5% is low, ≥20% is high per serving.
• Ingredients listed by weight; front-of-pack claims are weakly regulated.

• added-sugars / sodium / dietary-fats — the "limit" nutrients.
• portion-estimation — translating serving sizes to real portions.
• processed-foods — using the ingredient list.
• calorie-targets — calories feed your daily target.