Nutrition labels are actually engineered to be easily comprehensible, IF you know what you are looking at. Learning HOW to decipher them is where the problem generally lies. Here is a comprehensive guide how to read and understand food labels.

Nutrition labels are divided into seven main sections. We will begin at the top.
The Serving Size is located near the top. This section tells you how big a serving size is and how many servings are in a package. People often assume there is only one serving per package, however read this label carefully. One serving may be a half-cup, and there may actually be six servings per package. Know how much you can consume to get the nutritional content on the label.

Calories and Calories from Fat is the second section, located directly under the serving size. A calorie is a measure of energy, however most people consume far more calories than they need. It's important to remember that these guides are per serving, not for the whole package. In this section, on the left side are the total number calories per serving.

The Nutrients: How Much is actually the third and fourth section of the label combined. On the third part of the label are the list of nutrients that people generally consume enough of, or too much. These nutrients are total fat (including saturated fat and trans fat), cholesterol, and sodium. It's important to limit these nutrients. Next to the nutrient is the total amount of grams you are consuming.

On the fourth label, directly below the third are the nutrients that people generally do not consume enough of. These nutrients are dietary fiber, protein, Vitamins, Calcium, and Iron. Labels that have high levels and percentages in this section are usually healthier foods. As mentioned before, to the left are the total grams consumed based on serving size.

Footnote on Bottom of Nutritional Label, of the fifth part of the label gives a general guideline about how much fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, and dietary fiber a person should consume based on their daily caloric intake. This section uses a diet based on 2000 calories, and a diet based on 2500 calories as an example.

The Percentage Daily Value or (%DV), or the sixth part of the label runs down the right side of the package. This is the line that lists the percentages for the nutrients you are consuming based on the daily recommendations for a person consuming a 2000-calorie diet. This section helps you

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