Food labels are only understood in part by consumers. Some know to read and check the Total fat contents, the saturated fats and Trans fats. If a food is high in saturated fat, it isn't as good for you. There are also Polyunsaturated fats and Monounsaturated Fat to look for on the Nutrition label. It is also important to read the Cholesterol percentage, as well as Sodium and Total Carbs.

Now lets go through each one individually to understand what they mean. First you have the Nutrition Facts with the Serving Size, how many Servings per container, how many Calories and Fat Calories per serving. This is based on the Percent Daily Values (DV) and based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Serving Size: The serving size is usually listed in cups or pieces and sometimes includes a weight (grams, ounces). It is important to remember that "serving size" means the cooked, ready-to-eat part of the food. Compare the amount that you will eat to the given serving size. Remember that double the serving size means double the calories and other amounts listed on the label.

Servings per Container: This tells you how many servings are in the package of food in the serving size described above.

Calories: The total calories in one serving of the food are listed here. Eating too many calories each day may cause a person to become overweight. Talk to your dietitian (deye-e-TISH-an), nutritionist (noo-TRI-shun-ist) or caregiver about the amount of calories that you should eat each day.

Calories from Fat: The number of calories that come from fat in one serving are listed here. You can use this number to figure out how much fat is in the food. For example, a food may have 100 total calories in one serving and 50 calories from fat. By dividing 100 by 50, you know that this food has 50 percent (or one half) of total calories from fat.

Percent Daily Value: The percent daily value or "percent DV" is on the right side of the "Nutrition Facts" label. It tells you how much of your daily needs are met by one serving of this food for each nutrient listed. This number is based on a diet of 2000 calories. Your calorie needs may be more or less than 2000 calories. Ask your dietitian, nutritionist or caregiver what your daily calorie needs should be.
You can use the percent daily values number to figure out if a food is high or low in a nutrient. A food is low in a nutrient if it provides less than five percent of the nutrient. A food is high in a nutrient if it provides more

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