7 Tips for Better Understanding a Nutrition Label for a Healthier You
- 14 minutes ago
- 6 min read
While many of us passively read the nutrition facts on the foods we purchase, do we really take the time to understand what it all means for our health? In this blog, we'll be discussing 7 tips for what to look for on nutrition labels, covering everything from serving sizes and carbohydrates to fiber, vitamins, and hidden sugars. By the end, you'll have the knowledge and confidence to make informed, nutritious choices for you and your family.
Table of Contents
Tip #1: Always Check the Serving Size First
The serving size is the amount of food or drink that is considered to be a single serving based on the recommended daily intake. It is important because it allows consumers to compare the nutrition facts of products and compare the nutrients they are getting in a single serving. Knowing the serving size also helps you to properly portion out your food, so you can understand how much you are consuming.
One key thing is to be mindful of the various ways that a nutrition label may measure a serving. While some may be for the entire container, others might be based on certain measurements like tablespoons, cups, or a certain number of the food in question.
Tip #2: Understanding Total Carbohydrates
The total carbohydrates on a nutrition facts label refers to the amount of carbohydrates in one serving of the food. This number includes dietary fiber, total sugars (including added sugars), and starches. It is important to understand the total carbohydrates in a food because carbohydrates provide energy and can affect blood sugar levels.
Bonus tip: when grocery shopping, look for high-quality foods with complex carbohydrates, these are nutrient-dense items that slowly digest, meaning they can provide sustained energy and help stabilize your blood sugar more effectively.
Examples of complex carbohydrates
Whole grains such as quinoa, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, and whole-grain bread.
Starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and green peas.
Fiber-rich foods like broccoli, carrots, and brussels sprouts.
Tip #3: % Daily Value (and Why It Matters)
One of the most overlooked elements on a nutrition label is the % daily value (or %DV for short). The %DV indicates how much a nutrient one serving contributes towards the recommended daily intake of an average adult who consumes 2,000 calories within a day.
This is important for understanding how much more of a nutrient you might need in a day or what to avoid for the day if overconsumed. According to the FDA, 5% DV or less for a nutrient per serving is considered low, likewise 20% DV or more is considered high. If you're unsure if you need more or less of a nutrient, talk to your doctor to see what is right for you.
Tip #4: Choose Foods with More Fiber, Vitamins, and Minerals
It’s important to choose items that have higher dietary fiber. An increase in dietary fiber can make you have more regular bowel movements, lower your blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and help you consume fewer calories. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025 (referenced by the CDC), adults should aim for 22 to 34 grams of fiber per day depending on age and sex, yet most Americans consume only about half that amount.
By consuming foods that are rich in vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium, one can lower the chances of acquiring illnesses such as osteoporosis, anemia, and high blood pressure. These minerals are essential for maintaining a balanced diet and keeping the body functioning properly. They help to regulate hormones, build strong bones and teeth, create energy, and keep the heart, muscles, and other organs working properly. It is important to consume the right amounts of each mineral, as deficiencies or an excess of any of them can cause serious health problems.
Common nutrient deficiencies
Vitamin A - Found in sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, and carrots.
Vitamin C - Found in orange juice, broccoli, strawberries, and red peppers.
Vitamin D - Found in fish, mushrooms, eggs, and vitamin D fortified milk.
Vitamin E - Found in spinach, peanut butter, safflower oil, various nuts and seeds.
Zinc - Crab, yogurt, baked beans, chickpeas, and zinc fortified cereals.
Tip #5: Choose Foods with Lower Calories, Saturated Fat, Sodium, and Added Sugars.
Calories provide the amount of energy that you are getting in one serving. In this example, since the serving size is one, if you eat the full container, you would be eating 230 calories. Now let’s say this container happened to be 2 servings, then if you ate the full container, you would be eating 460 calories.
The general guide for nutrition advice recommends having 2,000 calories a day. However, this is a general amount, and your calorie intake may vary based upon your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity level. Avoid eating too many calories, as this can lead to being overweight and obesity.
Saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars are important for determining the overall nutritional quality of a food item. Saturated fat is a type of fat that can raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease when consumed in large amounts, so it is important for consumers to be aware of the amount of saturated fat in their food.
Sodium can be linked to high blood pressure, so it is important to know how much sodium a food contains. Lastly, added sugars can contribute to obesity and other health complications, so it is important to be aware of the amount of added sugars in a food item.
What is the difference between total sugars and added sugars?
Total sugars include sugars already present in foods and drinks including added sugars.
Added sugars are the sugars that are added during the processing of the foods, foods packaged as sweeteners, sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices.
For example: A Modern Oats Cup has 12 grams of added sugar and only 1 gram of natural sugar.
Tip #6: Avoid Trans Fat
Trans fat is a type of fat that is created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to make it solid. The good news: the FDA banned artificial trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils) from the U.S. food supply, with the ban taking full effect in 2018. This means manufacturers can no longer add them to foods made or sold in the United States.
Trans fat has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, as it increases levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol in the blood. However, a product can still legally show “0g trans-fat” on the label if it contains less than 0.5g per serving, so always check the ingredient list for “partially hydrogenated oil” as a warning sign. Trans fat remnants are most commonly found in:
Fried foods
Doughnuts
Baked goods including cakes, pies, crusts, biscuits, etc.
Tip #7: Compare Products While Shopping
Once you understand the label, the real test is using it in the grocery store. Here's how to do quick comparisons between items:
Start out with serving sizes. Between two items, one might look like it has less calories, but make sure the serving size is the same, otherwise you may end up eating more than you think.
The nutrients you're managing are your priority. It's all about your health, if you have high blood pressure, your focus should be the sodium count. Are you managing blood sugar? Focus on total carbs and added sugars.
The front packaging isn't as important as the back. Many products use terms like "all natural" or other buzz-terms. The back is your point of source, cut through the marketing.
Use fiber as a staple point. On average, foods with more fiber are less likely to be heavily processed. Use this as a quick reference before looking at the ingredients list.
Conclusion
Understanding a nutrition label doesn't have to be overwhelming. Once you know what to look for with serving sizes, %DV, fiber & vitamins, added sugars, and the fats to avoid, you have everything you need to make smarter choices at the grocery store. Start small: next time you pick up a packaged food, flip it over and spend a few seconds on just two or three of these tips, ensure that you are prioritizing what's needed for your unique dietary needs. Over time, those habits result in a meaningfully healthier diet for you and your family. The label is there to help you and now you know how to use it.
