Nutrition Facts labels are intended to help consumers make healthy food choices, but all the numbers and measurements can be downright confusing. It is also full of intimidating words such as ”, “carbohydrate”. How much of each nutrient and which numbers should I check first? To answer these questions and more, TODAY.com recruited two nutrition experts — Jessica Cording, RD, nutritionist and author of The Little Book of Game Changers. , and Cynthia Sass, RD, Plant-Based Performance Coach — tapped to shine a light on nutrition. Label the facts so you can read with confidence.
What’s in the Nutrition Facts Table?
To take advantage of Nutrition Facts labeling, you need to understand what is being shown and why. Here’s the breakdown of the label’s elements:
Provided information
“Serving Size” and “Servings Per Container” are always listed at the top of the label. should do it eat and drink. For example, one bag of rice has a serving size of ¼ cup (dry), which is an amount most people can add to their diet. Serving sizes are listed in common units such as cups or pieces, followed by weight in grams. Servings per container reflects the total number of servings in the entire container. Using the example of rice, he might be 10 servings per container.
Some packages may have a “dual column” or two services side by side. The first column shows the amount per serving and the second column shows the amount per container. This is often used for small packages such as single-serve bags of chips and low-calorie items such as pints of low-calorie ice cream.
calorie
A calorie is a measure of energy. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet as the standard for most Americans, but this varies by size, activity level, gender, and other factors. Calories listed on food labels refer to serving size amounts, not the entire package.
nutrients
Beneath the calories are the important nutrients that play an important role in overall health, including fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, protein, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium. Fat, sodium, and added sugars are listed as “nutrients to reduce”, while dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium are listed as “nutrients to increase”. Based on your daily recommendations, these nutrients are listed in grams, milligrams, or % of value per day.
% Daily Value
The percentage on the right shows the percentage of daily value (DV). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USDA) sets his recommended daily amounts for each nutrient. The %DV tells you how much one serving of that nutrient stacks up to his total recommended daily allowance. Foods with a DV of 5% or less are considered low foods, and foods with a DV of 20% or more are considered high foods.
material
Although not on the Nutrition Facts label itself, ingredients are an important part of food packaging. Ingredients are listed under the nutrition panel and are required by the FDA. They are listed in descending order, with the first ingredient being the most common in recipes.
Where Do Nutrient Recommendations Come From?
Some nutrients are listed in grams, others in milligrams, and it’s puzzling that all those numbers make up part of the daily rate. But don’t worry, these measurements are not random. “Governments set recommended intakes for nutrients that vary by age and gender, known as Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) and Adequate Intakes (AIs),” he says. The RDA is based on the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR), the amount half of the healthy population would need to reduce the risk of disease. In the absence of sufficient scientific evidence to determine an RDA, an AI is determined based on intake in healthy humans.
These numbers (RDA and AI) are used to set the percentage of the daily value. Because the RDA and AI vary by age and gender, “the U.S. Food and Drug Administration selects only one value (%DV) for each nutrient that he chooses based on the needs of the general population,” she says. says. “It provides a frame of reference to help people understand which foods are good sources of which nutrients and which foods contribute to the bulk of what should be consumed more sparingly. .
What nutritionists look for in nutrition labeling
It’s a good idea to glance at the nutrition labels on all foods, but if you don’t have time, nutritionists say you can pay attention to certain things. is subjective. “To some extent, whether something is ‘healthy’ depends on the individual and their unique needs and goals,” says Cording. People trying to lower LDL cholesterol may want to prioritize dietary fiber and look for foods that are low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fats. should pay attention to calcium and vitamin D content.
Sass takes a different approach. “The first thing I look at is the ingredient list. , Certain foods made with nuts may be high in fat, but they are also rich in calcium and fiber. A quick glance at the ingredients can help you assess where that fat content is coming from.
“After reviewing the ingredient list, I think it’s important to look at all the numbers as a set instead of focusing on single values like calories, carbs, sugar, grams of protein,” Sass added. “This simplification of nutrition has resulted in several factors, such as accepting highly processed foods as healthy because they are low in fat and avoiding naturally nutrient-dense foods because they contain carbohydrates. It caused major health problems.
Both nutritionists agree that it’s best not to have an “all or nothing” mentality when evaluating foods. , says Sass, if key nutrients like magnesium have a good %DV, it’s worth including in your diet.
That said, if you have a health condition or are unsure about which nutrients are important to your lifestyle, consider consulting a registered dietitian.
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