Food labels give
information about what is in the food we buy. This guide will help you
understand how to read a food label. Different people have
different calorie needs, and most people need 2,000-2,500 calories per day.
Talk to a health professional to determine your recommended amount
1. The Serving Size
Serving sizes are the same for similar
foods. Servings per container tells you how many portions are in the food
package. In this label, there are 2 servings and each serving is 1 cup in size.
All information in the label is based on 1 serving.
2.
Calories
In this label, there are 250 calories
per serving and 110 calories per serving are from fat. This means that almost
half of the 250 calories are from fat. Eating too many calories per day is
linked to obesity.
3. Limit These Nutrients
They yellow nutrients are ones that
people tend to eat too much of, and eating too much of them can increase your
risk for heart disease.
4. Get Enough of These
Most people don’t get enough of these
blue nutrients, and eating enough of them can improve your health and reduce
your risk for disease.
6. Percent Daily Value (%DV)
The % Daily Values tell you if a food is
high or low in a nutrient. In this label, you will get 20% of the daily
recommended calcium from 1 serving, but only 4% of the amount of Vitamin A based
on a 2,000 calorie diet. Eating a balanced diet rich with nutrients will help
you be healthy.
