Get to Know the Nutrition Facts Label

Packaged foods and drinks contain a Nutrition Facts label. This black-and-white box contains a lot of important information to help you make healthy food choices!

Click on the different sections of the Nutrition Facts label to learn more about them.

• Serving Size and Servings per Container
• Calories and Calories from Fat
• % Daily Value
• Nutrients
• Ingredients

Size up Servings

The nutrition information listed on the Nutrition Facts label is usually based on one serving of the food or drink. Pay attention to the serving size and the number of servings you eat and drink to figure out the total number of calories and nutrients you are getting. For example, if you eat or drink two servings, you are getting double the calories and double the nutrients that are listed on the label.

• Servings Per Container shows the total number of servings in the entire food package or container. Food packages can – and often do – contain more than one serving! Some containers may already have nutrition information listed for the entire package.
• Serving Size is based on the amount of food that is usually eaten at one time and doesn't tell you how much you should eat. The serving size is shown as a common household measure (such as cup, tablespoon, piece, slice, or jar), followed by the amount in grams (g).

Consider the Calories

Calories from foods and drinks provide the energy your body needs to function and grow. Everyone's calorie needs are different and depend on age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity level. When you are active, you "burn" more calories. To keep your body healthy, balance the number of calories you eat and drink with the number of calories your body uses.

TIP: 100 calories per serving of an individual packaged food is considered a moderate amount and 400 calories or more per serving of an individual packaged food is considered high in calories.

Use % Daily Value (%DV)

% Daily Value (%DV) is the percentage of the Daily Value for each nutrient in a serving of the food and shows how much a nutrient in a serving of the food contributes to a total daily diet. Use %DV to see if a serving of the food is high or low in an individual nutrient and to compare food products. Note: If a nutrient does not have a %DV, you can use grams (g) to compare and choose foods.

TIP: 5% DV or less of a nutrient per serving is considered low and 20% DV or more of a nutrient per serving is considered high
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Choose Nutrients Wisely

The Nutrition Facts label can help you keep tabs on nutrients you want to get more of and nutrients you want to get less of.

• Nutrients to get more of: dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium. Look for foods and drinks that are high in these nutrients – with 20% DV or more per serving.
• Nutrients to get less of: Saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. Look for foods and drinks that are low in these nutrients – with 5% DV or less per serving.

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Ingredient List

In addition to the Nutrition Facts label, the ingredient list is also a helpful tool. The ingredient list shows each ingredient in a food by its common or usual name. Ingredients are listed in order by weight, so the ingredient that weighs the most in the product is listed first and the ingredient that weighs the least is listed last.

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