Deciphering the Nutrition Facts Label: Do You Know What You're Eating?
How much calcium is in macaroni and cheese? Which brand of macaroni and cheese has the least fat? The best way to find out this information and more is to read the food label. All food packages bear the Nutrition Facts label, which is full of useful information to help you eat more healthfully.
Let's look at a sample label for macaroni and cheese to find out what is inside.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving Size: 1 cup | |
| Servings Per Container: 2 | |
| *Amount Per Serving | |
| Calories 370 Calories from Fat 140 | |
| *
% Daily
Value* | |
| Total Fat 15.5 g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat 4 g | 20% |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 15 mg | 5% |
| Sodium 660 mg | 28% |
| Total Carbohydrate 49 g | 16% |
| Dietary Fiber 3 g | 12% |
| Sugars 9 g | |
| Protein 11 g | |
| Vitamin A | 15% |
| Vitamin C | 15% |
| Calcium | 15% |
| Iron | 15% |
| *Percent Daily Values
are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie need | |||
| *Calories | *2,000 | *2,500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| *Total Fat | Less than | 65 g | 80 g |
| *Saturated Fat | Less than | 20 g | 25 g |
| *Cholesterol | Less than | 300 mg | 300 mg |
| *Sodium | Less than | 2,400 mg | 2,400 mg |
| *Total Carbohydrate | 300 g | 375 g | |
| *Dietary Fiber | 25 g | 30 g | |
Serving Size
| Serving Size: 1 cup |
| Servings Per Container: 2 |
The serving size tells you the amount of food that the nutrient information given on the label is based on. Pay attention to the serving size, including how many servings are in a package, and compare it to how much you actually eat. In the sample label above, one serving of macaroni and cheese equals one cup. If you ate the entire package, you would eat two cups, which means you would also consume twice the amount of the nutrients listed on the label.
Calories and Calories From Fat
| Amount Per Serving | |
|---|---|
| Calories 370 Calories from Fat 140 |
Calories are a measure of how much energy you get from food. Calories come from three sources: fat, protein, and carbohydrate. The label tells you how many of the calories in one serving come from fat.
Important Nutrients
The top half of the nutrition label lists nutrients that can strongly affect your health. They can be divided into two groups: those to limit and those to get enough of.
Nutrients to Limit
| Total Fat 15.5 g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat 4 g | 20% |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 15 mg | 5% |
| Sodium 660 mg | 28% |
These are the nutrients that can have adverse effects on your health if they are eaten in excess. For example, too much fat, too much cholesterol, or too much sodium may increase your risk of certain chronic diseases including heart disease, some forms of cancer, and high blood pressure. Saturated fat and Trans fat is of particular concern. Unsaturated fats, which are not required to be listed on a label, are a healthier type of fat. Most of the fat you eat should be the unsaturated type (both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated). Each gram of fat, whether it is saturated or unsaturated, provides nine calories.
Another kind of fat on the label is trans fats. Most trans fats come from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils as found in vegetable shortenings and some margarines, which are commonly used in baked goods. Trans fats, along with saturated fats and cholesterol increase the "bad" lipids in your blood, putting you at higher risk for heart disease.
Eating too many calories in general can lead to overweight and obesity. Being overweight is a risk factor for many health conditions including type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis. Therefore, it is essential to also note the total calories listed on the label.
Nutrients to Get Enough of
| Dietary Fiber 3 g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 15% |
| Vitamin C | 15% |
| Calcium | 15% |
| Iron | 15% |
These are a few of the nutrients that are beneficial to our health, and many Americans may not get enough. These include vitamins A and C, the minerals calcium and iron, and fiber. Calcium can help decrease the risk of osteoporosis, while vitamin C acts as an antioxidant. Fiber, which helps to maintain regularity, is also believed to help decrease the risk of certain chronic diseases.
Total Carbohydrate
Here, you can find the total grams of carbohydrate in the product. One gram of carbohydrate provides four calories. Total carbohydrate includes dietary fiber and sugars, which are both listed on the label, as well as other forms of carbohydrate.
The Percent Daily Value (%DV)
The percent daily values are listed in the right-hand column of the Nutrition Facts label. These percentages tell you whether the nutrients in a serving of food contribute a lot or a little to your total daily nutrient intake— 5% or less is "a little" and 20% or more is "a lot."
What Is My Daily Value?
|
*Percent Daily Values
are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. | |||
| *Calories | *2,000 | *2,500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| *Total Fat | Less than | 65 g | 80 g |
| *Saturated Fat | Less than | 20 g | 25 g |
| *Cholesterol | Less than | 300 mg | 300 mg |
| *Sodium | Less than | 2,400 mg | 2,400 mg |
| *Total Carbohydrate | 300 g | 375 g | |
| *Dietary Fiber | 25 g | 30 g | |
The percent daily values are based on recommendations for a 2,000 calorie diet and are outlined in a table below the Nutrition Facts label. The information in this table is exactly the same on all food products. (Small food products may not have this table if there is not enough room to display it). These values are based on expert dietary advice for the amount of certain nutrients you should consume over the course of the day.
People's actual calorie intakes can vary widely around 2,000 calories, so you may need greater or lesser amounts of these nutrients based on your actual calorie intake. However, th