Know What You’re Eating: Understanding Food Labels

Since the passage of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990, labels titled "Nutrition Facts" have been required to appear on a majority of packaged food sold in the United States. One of the most important parts of being a healthy shopper is reading and understanding the information provided on these labels.

The following is a section-by-section look at the information included on the nutrition label, along with tips on how to apply these facts to your dietary plan.

SERVING SIZE

Located at the top of the label (directly below the words "Nutrition Facts"), the serving size information is very important, because the nutritional information that follows is provided in amount per serving.

The serving size will be expressed in whatever measurement is most appropriate for the product in question (common examples include cups, ounces, grams, and pieces). If you don't have a food scale handy, you'll also want to take note of the following line, which indicates the number of servings contained in the entire package. Thus, even if you can't accurately measure out four ounces of granola, if you know that the package contains two servings you can approximate one serving by eating only half the bag.

It is essential to remember that the rest of the nutritional information on the label is meaningless unless you understand it in relation to the serving size of the product. For example, if you eat half of one serving size, you will have consumed only half of the calories and nutrients listed on the label. Similarly, eating two servings means that you will have to double the calorie and nutrition data in order to determine what you just ingested.

CALORIES

This section lists the amount of energy contained in one serving of the food, and also specifies how much of that energy comes from fat (according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, no more than 30 percent of a person's daily calories should come from fat). As an example, one cinnamon-flavored Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bar contains 180 calories, 50 of which come from fat. Since most packages contain two bars (which translates to two servings), eating both means that you will have taken in 360 calories, 100 of which were from fat.

Taking in too many calories is linked to overweight and obesity, but the amount of calories a person should consume each day varies based upon factors including that person's age, sex, weight, and activity level. Once you have determined your ideal daily caloric intake, the information in this part of the Nutrition Facts label will be an important part of your menu-planning process.

NUTRIENTS

The important nutrients contained in the product are accompanied by a weight and a percentage. The weight tells you the amount (in grams) contained in one serving of the product. The percentage indicates how much of the USDA's Recommended Daily Value (advised daily intake) is contained in one serving of the product.

You'll notice that trans fat, sugars, and protein amounts are usually not accompanied by a Daily Value percentage. In the case of trans fats and sugars, this is because the USDA recommends keeping your intake as low as possible. In the case of protein, according to the USDA website, "current scientific evidence indicates that protein intake is not a public health concern for adults and children over 4 years of age." Thus, only products that make claims such as "high in protein" or "protein rich" - or are designed to be consumed by children ages four and under - need to list a DV percentage.

It is important to note that the USDA's RDV is based upon a 2,000 calorie diet. This means that you may need to adjust this percentage depending upon your personal ideal daily calorie intake level.

In addition to what nutrient information is provided, how that information is listed is also noteworthy. The "Nutrition Facts" label is organized so that the first nutrients listed are ones that most Americans already eat in adequate (or more than adequate) amounts. Your body needs fat, cholesterol, and sodium - but if you're an average American, you need to keep an eye on your intake of these nutrients, as overindulgence has been linked to hypertension, heart disease, and some types of cancer.

The items farther down on the list - specifically dietary fiber, vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium - are nutrients that, according to the USDA, most Americans need to consume in greater quantities. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes are rich in these nutrients, which have been linked to improved digestion and a lowered risk of heart disease.

FOOTNOTE

All "Nutrition Facts" labels must carry a footnote stating that the DV percentages are based upon a 2,000-calorie diet. If there is enough room on the package, this footnote may be followed by information on recommended daily amounts for people who consume 2,500 calories daily. Some of the nutrients (for example, dietary fiber and carbohydrates) will increase for those with a larger diet, while others (such as cholesterol and sodium) will remain the same.

INGREDIENTS

A list of the ingredients a product contains can be found below the "Nutrition Facts" information. One primary difference between this list and the nutrition information is that no amounts, weights, or percentages are provided for ingredients - only a list of substances (some of which may seem more appropriate in a chemistry lab than a kitchen).

Though a product's ingredient list may appear to be vague (understand that some corporations guard their recipes as closely as nations do their state secrets), there is information to be gleaned from this section.

First, a product's primary ingredients are listed in descending order of their prevalence in the product. Thus, the first ingredient on the list is the one which appears in the largest amount, and the last one named appears the least. Ingredients that make up less than 2 percent of the product can be listed separately after the disclaimer, "contains less than 2% of the following."

Scanning the ingredient list can be important for individuals with allergies to substances such as peanuts or milk. Also, those who are hoping to avoid the empty calories associated with sugar-laden products should be on the lookout for ingredients such as honey, high-fructose corn syrup, and sucrose.

DECODING OTHER BUZZ WORDS

The information listed above isn't the only part of a product's packaging that is regulated by the U.S. government. Certain claims on the front of the bag or box are also subject to legislative control, but the legal meanings of some of these words may not be readily apparent to the average consumer.

For example, the following are the standards that must be met before a company can add specific fat-related claims to a product's packaging or advertisements:

Light - The product must contain either one-third fewer calories than are present in the original version or one-half the amount of fat in the original.

Reduced Fat or Less Fat - Must contain at least 25 percent less fat per serving than is present in the standard or original product.

Low Fat - Must contain no more than three grams of fat.

Fat Free - Must contain no more than one-half gram of fat.

Claims regarding sugar are regulated - and may be misleading - in a similar manner. A product promoted as having "no sugar added" may still expose the consumer to significant amounts of naturally occurring sugars (such as the simple carbohydrates found in milk and many fruits). And just as a "fat-free" product can actually contain a small amount of fat, so, too can a "sugar free" claim be applied to a product with less than half a gram of sugar.

AWARENESS IS ESSENTIAL

Deciphering a nutrition label, analyzing an ingredient list, and evaluating a product's marketing claims can feel like an intimidating undertaking, especially when the process is multiplied dozens of times during one's weekly trip through the supermarket. But understanding this information is an essential step toward ensuring that your diet is as healthy as it can be.

As with eating well and exercising regularly, checking nutritional information gets easier with practice. And the more informed you are, the better prepared you will be to transform your healthy lifestyle goals from personal objectives into lifelong realities.