Initiative for a Healthy Weight

Nutrition

How do I read a nutrition label?

Most packaged foods have a Nutrition Facts label. You can use the nutrition label to make smart food choices quickly and easily.

Try these tips:

• Keep these low: saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, and sodium.
• Get enough of these: potassium, fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron.
• Use the % Daily Value (DV) column when possible: 5% DV or less is low, 20% DV or more is high.

Check servings and calories.

• Look at the serving size and how many servings you are actually consuming.
• If you double the servings you eat, you double the calories and nutrients, including the % DVs.

Make your calories count.

• Look at the calories on the label and compare them with what nutrients you are getting to decide whether the food is a good choice.
• When one serving of a single food item has over 400 calories per serving, it is high in calories.