How to Read a Nutrition Label Without Getting Overwhelmed

Quick Summary

• Start with servings per container and serving size
• Look at calories in context
• Use the 5/20 guide for %DV
• Check the nutrients to get less of
• Check the nutrients to get more of
• Know where protein fits
• Compare two products side by side

The FDA suggests looking first at the number of servings in the package and the serving size. Serving sizes are standardized so similar foods are easier to compare, and they reflect the amount people typically eat or drink. The FDA is clear that the serving size is not a recommendation of how much you should eat.

Everything else on the label, including calories, refers to one serving. In the FDA’s sample label for frozen lasagna, one serving is 1 cup and 280 calories. Eat 2 cups and you would double the calories and nutrients shown.

Calories show how much energy you get from one serving. The FDA notes that 2,000 calories a day is used as a general guide for nutrition advice, but your own needs may be higher or lower depending on your age, sex, height, weight and activity level. The FDA points to the USDA MyPlate Plan if you want an estimate for yourself.

The % Daily Value (%DV) shows how much a nutrient in one serving adds to a total daily diet. You do not need to do any math. The FDA’s general guide is:

• 5% DV or less of a nutrient per serving is considered low.
• 20% DV or more of a nutrient per serving is considered high.

In the FDA’s lasagna example, sodium is 37% DV, which makes it a high-sodium food.

The FDA lists saturated fat, sodium and added sugars as nutrients to get less of, because Americans generally eat too much of them. For these, a lower %DV is usually the better pick.

On added sugars: the label shows Total Sugars, which includes sugars naturally found in foods like milk and fruit, and Includes Added Sugars, which are sugars added during processing, plus syrups, honey and sugars from concentrated juices.

The FDA lists dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium as nutrients Americans generally do not get enough of. For these, a higher %DV is usually the better pick.

Protein is listed in grams. A %DV for protein is usually only required if the package makes a protein claim, such as “high in protein,” or if the food is meant for young children. If you are trying to include protein at meals, the grams per serving are the number to look at.

This is where the label is most useful. The FDA suggests using %DV to compare products, but first make sure the serving sizes are the same. Then choose the one that is higher in the nutrients you want more of and lower in the ones you want less of.

• Same serving size? If not, adjust before comparing.
• Which has less sodium and added sugars?
• Which has more fiber?
• Which has the protein you are looking for?

• ✓How big is one serving, and how many am I likely to eat?
• ✓Is sodium, saturated fat or added sugars 20% DV or more?
• ✓Is fiber 5% DV or less?
• ✓If I am comparing two foods, are the serving sizes the same?

Our verdict

You do not need to memorize the whole label. Start with the serving size, glance at the 5/20 guide for a few key nutrients, and compare two products when you are choosing between them. A few trips through the aisle and it becomes second nature.

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