People look at food labels for different reasons. But whatever the
reason, many consumers would like to know how to use this information
more effectively and easily. The following label-building skills are
intended to make it easier for you to use nutrition labels to make
quick, informed food choices that contribute to a healthy diet.
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The Nutrition Facts Label - An Overview:
The information in the main or top section (see #1-4 and #6 on the
sample nutrition label below), can vary with each food product; it
contains product-specific information (serving size, calories, and
nutrient information). The bottom part (see #5 on the sample label
below) contains a footnote with Daily Values (DVs) for 2,000 and 2,500
calorie diets. This footnote provides recommended dietary information
for important nutrients, including fats, sodium and fiber. The footnote
is found only on larger packages and does not change from product to
product.
In the following Nutrition Facts label we have colored certain
sections to help you focus on those areas that will be explained in
detail. You will not see these colors on the food labels on products you
purchase.
The Serving Size
(#1 on sample label):
The first place to start when you look at the Nutrition Facts label
is the serving size and the number of servings in the package. Serving
sizes are standardized to make it easier to compare similar foods; they
are provided in familiar units, such as cups or pieces, followed by the
metric amount, e.g., the number of grams.
The size of the serving on the food package influences the number of
calories and all the nutrient amounts listed on the top part of the
label.
Pay attention to the serving size, especially how many
servings there are in the food package. Then ask yourself, "How many
servings am I consuming"? (e.g., 1/2 serving, 1 serving, or more) In the sample label, one serving of macaroni and cheese equals one cup. If you ate the whole package, you would eat
two cups. That doubles the calories and other nutrient numbers, including the %Daily Values as shown in the sample label.
|
Example
|
| |
Single Serving |
%DV |
|
Double Serving |
%DV |
| Serving Size |
1 cup (228g) |
|
2 cups (456g) |
|
| Calories |
250 |
|
500 |
|
| Calories from Fat |
110 |
|
220 |
|
| Total Fat |
12g |
18% |
24g |
36% |
| Trans Fat |
1.5g |
|
3g |
|
| Saturated Fat |
3g |
15% |
6g |
30% |
| Cholesterol |
30mg |
10% |
60mg |
20% |
| Sodium |
470mg |
20% |
940mg |
40% |
| Total Carbohydrate |
31g |
10% |
62g |
20% |
| Dietary Fiber |
0g |
0% |
0g |
0% |
| Sugars |
5g |
|
10g |
|
| Protein |
5g |
|
10g |
|
| Vitamin A |
|
4% |
|
8% |
| Vitamin C |
|
2% |
|
4% |
| Calcium |
|
20% |
|
40% |
| Iron |
|
4% |
|
8% |
Calories (and Calories from Fat)
Calories provide a measure of how much energy you get from a serving
of this food. Many Americans consume more calories than they need
without meeting recommended intakes for a number of nutrients. The
calorie section of the label can help you manage your weight (i.e.,
gain, lose, or maintain.)
Remember: the number of servings you consume determines the number of calories you actually eat (your portion amount).
(#2 on sample label):
In the example, there are 250 calories in one serving of this macaroni
and cheese. How many calories from fat are there in ONE serving? Answer:
110 calories, which means almost half the calories in a single serving
come from fat. What if you ate the whole package content? Then, you
would consume two servings, or 500 calories, and 220 would come from
fat.
General Guide to Calories
- 40 Calories is low
- 100 Calories is moderate
- 400 Calories or more is high
The
General Guide to Calories provides a general
reference for calories when you look at a Nutrition Facts label. This
guide is based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Eating too many calories per day is linked to overweight and obesity.
The Nutrients: How Much?
Look at the top of the nutrient section in the sample label. It shows
you some key nutrients that impact on your health and separates them
into two main groups:
Limit These Nutrients
(#3 on sample label):
The nutrients listed first are the ones Americans generally eat in
adequate amounts, or even too much. They are identified in yellow as
Limit these Nutrients. Eating too much fat, saturated fat,
trans
fat, cholesterol, or sodium may increase your risk of certain chronic
diseases, like heart disease, some cancers, or high blood pressure.
Important: Health experts recommend that you keep your intake of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol as low as possible as part of a nutritionally balanced diet.
Get Enough of These
(#4 on sample label):
Most Americans don't get enough dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C,
calcium, and iron in their diets. They are identified in blue as
Get Enough of these Nutrients.
Eating enough of these nutrients can improve your health and help
reduce the risk of some diseases and conditions. For example, getting
enough calcium may reduce the risk of osteoporosis, a condition that
results in brittle bones as one ages (see
calcium section below).
Eating a diet high in dietary fiber promotes healthy bowel function.
Additionally, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and grain products that
contain dietary fiber, particularly soluble fiber, and low in saturated
fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.
Remember: You can use the Nutrition Facts label not only to help limit those nutrients you want to cut back on but also to increase those nutrients you need to consume in greater amounts.
Understanding the Footnote on the Bottom of the Nutrition Facts Label
(#5 on sample label)
Note the
* used after the heading "%Daily Value" on the
Nutrition Facts label. It refers to the Footnote in the lower part of
the nutrition label, which tells you "
%DVs are based on a 2,000 calorie diet".
This statement must be on all food labels. But the remaining
information in the full footnote may not be on the package if the size
of the label is too small. When the full footnote does appear, it will
always be the same. It doesn't change from product to product, because
it shows recommended dietary advice for all Americans--it is not about a
specific food product.
Look at the amounts circled in red in the footnote--these are the
Daily Values (DV) for each nutrient listed and are based on public
health experts' advice. DVs are recommended levels of intakes. DVs in
the footnote are based on a 2,000 or 2,500 calorie diet. Note how the
DVs for some nutrients change, while others (for cholesterol and sodium)
remain the same for both calorie amounts.
How the Daily Values Relate to the %DVs
Look at the example below for another way to see how the Daily Values
(DVs) relate to the %DVs and dietary guidance. For each nutrient listed
there is a DV, a %DV, and dietary advice or a goal. If you follow this
dietary advice, you will stay within public health experts' recommended
upper or lower limits for the nutrients listed, based on a 2,000 calorie
daily diet.
Upper Limit - Eat "Less than"...
The nutrients that have "upper daily limits" are listed first on the
footnote of larger labels and on the example above. Upper limits means
it is recommended that you stay below - eat "less than" - the Daily
Value nutrient amounts listed per day. For example, the DV for Saturated
fat (in the yellow section) is 20g. This amount is 100% DV for this
nutrient. What is the goal or dietary advice? To eat "less than" 20 g or
100%DV for the day.<
Lower Limit - Eat "At least"...
Now look at the section in blue where dietary fiber is listed. The DV
for dietary fiber is 25g, which is 100% DV. This means it is
recommended that you eat "at least" this amount of dietary fiber per
day.
The DV for Total Carbohydrate (section in white) is 300g or 100%DV.
This amount is recommended for a balanced daily diet that is based on
2,000 calories, but can vary, depending on your daily intake of fat and
protein.
Now let's look at the %DVs.
The Percent Daily Value (%DV):
The % Daily Values (%DVs) are based on the Daily Value
recommendations for key nutrients but only for a 2,000 calorie daily
diet--not 2,500 calories. You, like most people, may not know how many
calories you consume in a day. But you can still use the %DV as a frame
of reference whether or not you consume more or less than 2,000
calories.
The %DV helps you determine if a serving of food is high or low in a nutrient. Note: a few nutrients, like
trans fat, do not have a %DV--they will be discussed later.
Do you need to know how to calculate percentages to use the %DV? No,
the label (the %DV) does the math for you. It helps you interpret the
numbers (grams and milligrams) by putting them all on the same scale for
the day (0-100%DV). The %DV column doesn't add up vertically to 100%.
Instead each nutrient is based on 100% of the daily requirements for
that nutrient (for a 2,000 calorie diet). This way you can tell high
from low and know which nutrients contribute a lot, or a little, to your
daily recommended allowance (upper or lower).
Quick Guide to %DV:
5%DV or less is low and 20%DV or more is high
(#6 on sample label):
This guide tells you that
5%DV or less is low for all
nutrients, those you want to limit (e.g., fat, saturated fat,
cholesterol, and sodium), or for those that you want to consume in
greater amounts (fiber, calcium, etc). As the
Quick Guide shows,
20%DV or more is high for all nutrients.
Example: Look at the amount of Total Fat in one
serving listed on the sample nutrition label. Is 18%DV contributing a
lot or a little to your fat limit of 100% DV? Check the Quick Guide to %DV.
18%DV, which is below 20%DV, is not yet high, but what if you ate the
whole package (two servings)? You would double that amount, eating 36%
of your daily allowance for Total Fat. Coming from just one food, that
amount leaves you with 64% of your fat allowance (100%-36%=64%) for all of the other foods you eat that day, snacks and drinks included.
1 serving
|
 |
| 2 servings |
 |
Using the %DV for:
Comparisons: The %DV also makes it easy for
you to make comparisons. You can compare one product or brand to a
similar product. Just make sure the serving sizes are similar,
especially the weight (e.g. gram, milligram, ounces) of each product.
It's easy to see which foods are higher or lower in nutrients because
the serving sizes are generally consistent for similar types of foods,
(see the
comparison example at the end) except in a few cases like cereals.
Nutrient Content Claims: Use the %DV to help
you quickly distinguish one claim from another, such as "reduced fat"
vs. "light" or "nonfat." Just compare the %DVs for Total Fat in each
food product to see which one is higher or lower in that nutrient--
there is no need to memorize definitions. This works when comparing all nutrient content claims, e.g., less, light, low, free, more, high, etc.
Dietary Trade-Offs: You can
use the %DV to help you make dietary trade-offs
with other foods throughout the day. You don't have to give up a
favorite food to eat a healthy diet. When a food you like is high in
fat, balance it with foods that are low in fat at other times of the
day. Also, pay attention to how much you eat so that the
total amount of fat for the day stays below 100%DV.
Nutrients With a %DV but No Weight Listed - Spotlight on Calcium:
Calcium: Look at the %DV for calcium on food packages so you know how much one serving contributes to the
total amount you need
per day. Remember, a food with 20%DV or more contributes a lot of
calcium to your daily total, while one with 5%DV or less contributes a
little.
Experts advise adult consumers to consume adequate amounts of
calcium, that is, 1,000mg or 100%DV in a daily 2,000 calorie diet. This
advice is often given in milligrams (mg), but the Nutrition Facts label
only lists a %DV for calcium.
For certain populations, they advise that adolescents, especially
girls, consume 1,300mg (130%DV) and post-menopausal women consume
1,200mg (120%DV) of calcium daily. The DV for calcium on food labels is
1,000mg.
Don't be fooled -- always check the label for
calcium because you can't make assumptions about the amount of calcium
in specific food categories. Example: the amount of calcium in milk,
whether skim or whole, is generally the same per serving, whereas the
amount of calcium in the same size yogurt container (8oz) can vary from
20-45 %DV.
| Equivalencies |
| 30% DV = 300mg calcium = one cup of milk |
| 100% DV = 1,000mg calcium |
| 130% DV = 1,300mg calcium |
Nutrients Without a %DV: Trans Fats, Protein, and Sugars:
Note that
Trans fat, Sugars and, Protein do not list a %DV on the Nutrition Facts label.
Plain Yogurt
 |
Fruit Yogurt
 |
Trans Fat: Experts could not provide a reference value for
trans fat nor any other information that FDA believes is sufficient to establish a Daily Value or %DV. Scientific reports link
trans
fat (and saturated fat) with raising blood LDL ("bad") cholesterol
levels, both of which increase your risk of coronary heart disease, a
leading cause of death in the US.
Important: Health experts recommend that you keep your intake of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol as low as possible as part of a nutritionally balanced diet.
Protein: A %DV is required to be listed if a
claim is made for protein, such as "high in protein". Otherwise, unless
the food is meant for use by infants and children under 4 years old,
none is needed. Current scientific evidence indicates that protein
intake is not a public health concern for adults and children over 4
years of age.
Sugars: No daily reference value has been
established for sugars because no recommendations have been made for the
total amount to eat in a day. Keep in mind, the sugars listed on the
Nutrition Facts label include naturally occurring sugars (like those in
fruit and milk) as well as those added to a food or drink. Check the
ingredient list for specifics on added sugars.
Take a look at the Nutrition Facts label for the two yogurt examples.
The plain yogurt on the left has 10g of sugars, while the fruit yogurt
on the right has 44g of sugars in one serving.
Now look below at the ingredient lists for the two yogurts.
Ingredients are listed in descending order of weight (from most to
least). Note that no added sugars or sweeteners are in the list of
ingredients for the plain yogurt, yet 10g of sugars were listed on the
Nutrition Facts label. This is because there are no added sugars in
plain yogurt, only naturally occurring sugars (lactose in the milk).
Plain Yogurt - contains no added sugars
Fruit Yogurt - contains added sugars
If you are concerned about your intake of sugars, make sure that
added sugars are not listed as one of the first few ingredients. Other
names for added sugars include: corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup,
fruit juice concentrate, maltose, dextrose, sucrose, honey, and maple
syrup.
To limit nutrients that have no %DV, like trans fat and sugars, compare the labels of similar products and choose the food with the lowest amount.
Comparison Example
Below are two kinds of milk- one is "Reduced
Fat," the other is "Nonfat" milk. Each serving size is one cup. Which
has more calories and more saturated fat? Which one has more calcium?
|
REDUCED FAT MILK
2% Milkfat |
NONFAT MILK |
 |
 |
Answer: As
you can see, they both have the same amount of calcium, but the nonfat
milk has no saturated fat and has 40 calories less per serving than the
reduced fat milk.
This document was issued in June 2000 and updated July 2003 and November 2004.
