https://howtoreadnutritionlabels.com/
Six steps
- 01 Check serving size. Find out how much food the numbers below actually represent.
- 02 Look at calories. Shown per serving, not necessarily for the whole package.
- 03 Check % Daily Value. Use %DV to see if a nutrient is relatively low or high.
- 04 Note what to limit. Saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.
- 05 Note what to get more of. Fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium.
- 06 Read the ingredients. See what the product is actually made from.
Sugars
Added Sugars are already counted inside Total Sugars; never add the two together.
The 5/20 rule
5% DV or less is considered low in that nutrient, 20% DV or more is considered high.
Limit
- Saturated fat
- Sodium
- Added sugars
Get more of
- Dietary fiber
- Vitamin D
- Calcium
- Iron
- Potassium
Sourced primarily from U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance.