What are the different parts of a Nutrition Facts Label?
Dr. Allen discusses different parts of a nutrition label. Click play to watch the video or read the transcript.
Understanding how to read a Nutrition Fact Label is an important part of making healthy choices about your diet.
The label is broken into five parts, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), from top to bottom:
- Serving size – This section shows the number of servings in the whole package and how big each serving is. The nutritional values on the rest of the label are based one serving of the food
- Amount of Calories – This section lists both the number of calories and the number of calories from fat in one serving
- Percent Daily Value – This section lists the percentage of nutrients one serving of the food will add to your total daily diet. The percentages are based on a daily diet of 2,000 calories
- Nutrients to limit – Total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium all are listed in the top half of the nutrient section. These are all thought to increase your risk of chronic diseases including heart disease, high blood pressure and some cancers
- Positive nutrients – The bottom half of the nutrient sections lists nutrients that people often need more of in their diets to feel strong and healthy, including dietary fiber,
Once you get used to reading Food Nutrition Labels, they can become a very important tool to help you maintain a healthy, balanced diet, according to the FDA.
For more information about the different parts of a food label, talk with your physician.
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