How to Read a Nutrition Label: Your Easy Guide to Decoding Nutrition Facts!

All those veggies don’t have a nutrition facts label…so what do you do? We have answers!

How to Read a Nutrition Label: Other Important Facts

Percent Daily Value (% DV): “The DV is based on the amount of nutrients a typical person needs in one day,” explains DietsInReview.com’s Registered Dietitian Mary Hartley. “Note that 5 percent DV or less is low and 20 percent DV or more is high. Then, look for the nutrients to limit: saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium, and for the nutrients to seek: fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. For the nutrients to limit, stay within 5 percent DV and, for the nutrients to increase, aim for 20 percent DV or higher.”

By limiting foods you eat that are high fat, cholesterol, and sodium (20 percent DV or more), you are helping to reduce your risk of disease and promoting weight loss or maintenance. Eating foods high in the nutrients required for your body to function properly, like vitamins, minerals and fiber, will also reap these same rewards.

Ingredients: All of the ingredients in each food must appear in the the ingredients, and appear in the order in which it is found most in the food. If sugar is the second ingredient listed, sugar is the second most used ingredient in the food by ratio.

What if your food doesn’t have a nutrition facts label? If your food does not have a label (like fresh produce), use a free online resource to look up the nutrition facts, like Calorie Count. Meat has just recently been required to list its nutrition information.