Nutrition Diet: How to Read A Nutrition Label I
What is a nutrition label?
The nutrition label helps you determine the amount of calories and nutrients in one serving of food. This information helps determine whether you are eating a healthy balanced diet.
The label, which is included on every packaged food product, has a list of the amount of:
* Fat
* Total fat
* Saturated fat
* Trans Fat
* Cholesterol
* Sodium
* Total Carbohydrate
* Plant fiber
* Sugars
* Protein
* Vitamins and minerals
Nutrition Facts Label from the FDA
What is a serving (serving size)?
Ration (“service size) is the first part of the information listed on the label. A serving is the amount of food you typically eat one serving. Is listed as a general household measure, such as pieces, cups or ounces, for example, 7 potato chips or 1 / 2 cup of cereal.
The ration is an important part of a healthy diet. Eating too large portions, or to use too, can contribute to weight gain, since with increasing the portion size you eat more calories.
It is important to compare the portions indicated in the container with the quantity of the food that you eat regularly. For example, the label may indicate a serving as seven (7) potato chips or 30 grams (1 ounce) cake. If you usually eat twice that amount, you’re also eating double the calories and nutrients.
What is the percentage of the daily value (% DV)?
A healthy person should eat a certain amount of fats, carbohydrates (especially fiber), protein and vitamins and minerals. Certain ingredients such as saturated fats and trans fats are considered unhealthy and should only be eaten in small quantities.
The nutrition label provides a list of percentages (known as the Percent Daily Value or% DV) that tell the amount of a nutrient that a serving of food contains in relation to the amount of that nutrient you should consume daily.
A serving of food with 5% or less of the daily value is considered low. A serving of food with 20% or more of the daily value is considered high.
Percent Daily Value is based on a daily diet of 2,000 calories. You will need to adjust the rates if you eat more or less than 2000 calories per day. For more information on calorie allowances, read our brochure on how to determine calorie needs.