nutrition labels

what is a nutrition label?

A nutrition label, officially known as the "Nutrition Facts label," is a mandated panel on packaged foods regulated by the FDA in the United States. It provides detailed information on serving sizes, calories, and nutrient content (fats, sodium, carbs, protein, vitamins) to help consumers make informed, healthier dietary choices and compare products.

key components of a nutrition label

serving size

Serving Size: The basis for all nutritional values, reflecting typical consumption amounts rather than recommended intake.

Calories

Calories: Indicates the energy content per serving, essential for weight management.

nutrients to limit

Nutrients to Limit: Lists saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and added sugars to help reduce the risk of chronic diseases

Nutrients to increase

Nutrients to Increase: Highlights dietary fiber, vitamins (like D), and minerals (calcium, iron, potassium).

percent daily value

Percent Daily Value (%DV): Shows how much a nutrient in a serving contributes to a total daily diet, helping identify if a food is high or low in a specific nutrient.

why look at the label?

People look at food labels for a variety of reasons. But whatever the reason, many consumers would like to know how to use this information more effectively and easily. The following label-reading skills are intended to make it easier for you to use the Nutrition Facts labels to make quick, informed food decisions to help you choose a healthy diet.

In the Nutrition Facts label below there are colored sections to help you focus on those areas that will be explained in detail. Note that these colored sections are not on the actual food labels of products you purchase.

Serving Sizes

When looking at the Nutrition Facts label, first take a look at the number of servings in the package (servings per container) and the serving size. Serving sizes are standardized to make it easier to compare similar foods; they are provided in familiar units, such as cups or pieces, followed by the metric amount, e.g., the number of grams (g). The serving size reflects the amount that people typically eat or drink. It is not a recommendation of how much you should eat or drink.

It’s important to realize that all the nutrient amounts shown on the label, including the number of calories, refer to the size of the serving. Pay attention to the serving size, especially how many servings there are in the food package. For example, you might ask yourself if you are consuming ½ serving, 1 serving, or more. In the sample label, one serving of lasagna equals 1 cup. If you ate two cups, you would be consuming two servings. That is two times the calories and nutrients shown in the sample label, so you would need to double the nutrient and calorie amounts, as well as the %DVs, to see what you are getting in two servings.

Calories

2. Calories provide a measure of how much energy you get from a serving of this food. In the example, there are 280 calories in one serving of lasagna. What if you ate the entire package? Then, you would consume 4 servings, or 1,120 calories.

To achieve or maintain a healthy body weight, balance the number of calories you eat and drink with the number of calories your body uses. 2,000 calories a day is used as a general guide for nutrition advice. Your calorie needs may be higher or lower and vary depending on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity level. Learn your estimated calorie needs at https://www.myplate.gov/myplate-plan.

Nutrients

Look at section 3 in the sample label. It shows you some key nutrients that impact your health. You can use the label to support your personal dietary needs – look for foods that contain more of the nutrients you want to get more of and less of the nutrients you may want to limit.

Nutrients to get less of: Saturated Fat, Sodium, and Added Sugars.

Saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars are nutrients listed on the label that may be associated with adverse health effects – and Americans generally consume too much of them. They are identified as nutrients to get less of. Eating too much saturated fat and sodium, for example, is associated with an increased risk of developing some health conditions, like cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. Consuming too much added sugars can make it hard to meet important nutrient needs while staying within calorie limits.

the percent daily value

The % Daily Value (%DV) is the percentage of the Daily Value for each nutrient in a serving of the food. The Daily Values are reference amounts (expressed in grams, milligrams, or micrograms) of nutrients to consume or not to exceed each day.

The %DV shows how much a nutrient in a serving of a food contributes to a total daily diet.

The %DV helps you determine if a serving of food is high or low in a nutrient.

Do you need to know how to calculate percentages to use the %DV? No, because the label (the %DV) does the math for you! It helps you interpret the nutrient numbers (grams, milligrams, or micrograms) by putting them all on the same scale for the day (0-100%DV). The %DV column doesn't add up vertically to 100%. Instead, the %DV is the percentage of the Daily Value for each nutrient in a serving of the food. It can tell you if a serving of food is high or low in a nutrient and whether a serving of the food contributes a lot, or a little, to your daily diet for each nutrient.

Note: General Guide to %DV

5% DV or less of a nutrient per serving is considered low

20% DV or more of a nutrient per serving is considered high

nutritional label variations

Many Nutrition Facts labels on the market will be formatted in the same way as the lasagna label that has been used as an example throughout this page, but there are other formats of the label that food manufacturers are permitted to use. This final section will present two alternate formats: the dual-column label and the single-ingredient sugar label.

In addition to dual-column labeling and single-ingredient sugar labels, there are other label formats which you can explore here.

Dual Column Labels

For certain products that are larger than a single serving but that could be consumed in one sitting or multiple sittings, manufacturers will have to provide “dual column” labels to indicate the amounts of calories and nutrients on both a “per serving” and “per package” or “per unit” basis. The purpose of this type of dual-column labeling is to allow people to easily identify how many calories and nutrients they are getting if they eat or drink the entire package/unit at one time.

in conclusion

In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated requirements for the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods and drinks. FDA required changes to the Nutrition Facts label based on updated scientific information, new nutrition research, and input from the public. This was the first major update to the label in over 20 years. The label's refreshed design and updated information make it easier for you to make informed food choices that contribute to lifelong healthy eating habits.

FDA-regulated food labels must include five key elements: a Statement of Identity (product name), Net Quantity of Contents (weight/volume), Nutrition Facts panel, Ingredient List (including allergens), and the Manufacturer/Distributor Name and Address. These must be clearly legible and in English.

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