Reading the labels on packaged foods will help you choose these foods wisely. You will be able to quickly see if the item is a good source of nutrients.
Here's how to read a food label.
Serving Size lists how many calories and nutrients are in one serving of the food. In the example at right, there are about 13 servings per container of oatmeal. If you are eating twice the serving size, you are getting twice the calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium, etc.
Amount Per Serving shows how much protein, fiber and vitamins are in each serving. You can also find amounts for fat, cholesterol and sodium. If you are on a special diet, this information will be helpful.
Percent Daily Value shows how the amount of a nutrient in a serving of food fits into a 2,000 calorie diet. The higher the percentage, the more of the nutrient is in the food.
Daily values chart for diets of 2,000 or 2,500 calories appear on the lower half of the food label. These numbers list the recommended limits of total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates and dietary fiber for each day. Note: Your specific recommendations may vary from these.
Remember
Use as little trans fat as possible. Read the ingredients lists on food labels. Avoid products with hydrogenated vegetable oil and partially hydrogenated oil. Choose foods that have as close to 0 grams trans fat as possible.
Serving sizes
The nutrition facts are only for one serving. So remember to compare the serving size with the number of servings per container. The example on this page has 13 servings in the container.
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