How to Read Nutrition Labels Like a Pro
The other day, my husband and I were taking a walk to enjoy the warm weather and picked up a bottle of Cherry Coke to enjoy on our walk home. When we got inside, he finished the bottle and took a look at the label.
“Holy crap,” he said, shaking his head. “I didn’t realize there were 70g of sugar in this bottle!”
We laughed it off because soda isn’t a regular staple in our house, but we couldn’t help but notice that this one bottle of soda contained a whopping 140% of your recommended daily value of sugar.
This got me thinking about how easy it is to overindulge on sugar, sodium, and saturated fats, especially if you aren’t in the habit of reading nutrition labels.
After all, though there is a lot of information to glean from nutrition labels, it can be confusing to the untrained eye. What’s more is that many “health food” companies use deliberately misleading marketing language to promote unhealthy products.
For example, many products who claim to have no sugar or low sugar content are still flavored with artificial sweeteners. Additionally, low fat snack options are often high in sugar or artificial fillers.
Understanding the language of the nutrition label can be like a cheat code to making smarter food choices, particularly if your goal is to lose weight.
By the end of this post, hopefully you’ll have a deeper understanding of what exactly you are seeing when it comes to nutrition labels, no nutritional science degree necessary!
The Anatomy of a Nutrition Label
Nutrition labels are required thanks to a law passed in 1990, by the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA), for most packaged foods and dietary supplements excluding a few specific exemptions.
These regulatory laws and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ensure the safety, quality, and labeling of foods, drugs, and cosmetics.
The nutrition label provides information that empowers consumers to make informed choices when it comes to the foods, beverages, and supplements that they consume on a daily basis.
The nutrition label is standardized across all food products, so once you know the different parts, you will be able to read and understand the nutrition in any item you pick up.
The nutrition label can be broken into four main parts:
Serving Size and Servings Per Container
Calories
Nutrients
% Daily Values
Let’s break it down step by step.
Image from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
1. Serving Size: The Sneaky Saboteur
The very first thing you will see on a nutrition label is the serving size, and the servings per container. This number is important because all of the other information on the label is based on the serving size.
Did you know that the serving size for Oreo’s is only three cookies? If you are anything like me, that number is shocking and disturbing, based on my own snacking habits.
The serving size is standardized for a couple of reasons:
First, serving sizes use common measurements such as pieces, cups, or grams, to make it easier to get an accurate measurement at home.
Second, standardized serving sizes make it easier to compare similar foods, whether it’s two different brands or just a similar product.
Third, serving sizes are based on the typical amount the average consumer eats, not necessarily the recommended amount (I think we might need to revisit the Oreo conversation.)
When reading a nutrition label, always make sure you are checking the serving size and comparing how much you are actually consuming to that number to get an accurate measurement.
2. Calories: Quality Over Quantity
The next thing you will find on the nutrition label is calories, which are conveniently labeled big and bold at the top of the list.
What exactly are calories? Put simply, they are a unit of energy that your body uses to fuel all of its daily functions from working out to breathing and even thinking. When you consume more calories than you burn in a day, though, your body begins to store them as fat for future use.
Nutrition labels are based on a standard 2000 calorie per day diet, but your caloric needs might be different.
To learn more about calories and how many you should be consuming, check out our deep dive on the calorie deficit!
Once you understand how many calories you should be eating per day, you can use the nutrition label to help track what you’ve consumed.
It’s not all about numbers, though. The quality of your food matters just as much if not more than the amount of calories you’re consuming.
For example, 100 calories of almonds has protein, fiber, healthy fats, micronutrients, and helps you to feel satiated between meals. On the other hand, 100 calories of soda gives you sugar and flavor, but don’t have nutritional value or satiate you.
If you are trying to build awareness around your calorie consumption, keep in mind that you should be focusing on eating nutrient-dense foods that keep you full and support your weight management goals.
3. Breaking Down the Nutrients
The third section of the nutrition label is the biggest, and most robust in terms of the information you’re getting.
This section depicts all of the actual nutrients contained in each serving of food, including the macronutrients like fat, carbohydrates, and protein, as well as sugar and sodium (salt).
Fat
First up is fats. Dietary fat has a pretty bad reputation in the diet and weight loss world, but actually is an important component of a healthy diet.
That being said, there are both good and bad kinds of fat, and they will be listed differently on your nutritional label.
Unsaturated fat is considered “good” fat and is found in sources such as nuts, seeds, and olive oil. On the less good side we have saturated fats, which come from animal products and processed foods. These fats should be eaten in moderation.
Worst of all are trans fats, which increase bad cholesterol (LDL) and decreases good cholesterol (HDL), lead to inflammation, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. In fact, trans fats are actually banned in the U.S.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are another misunderstood macronutrient that can be good in the form of whole grains, beans, and vegetables, but are not as healthy in the form of refined carbs or sugar.
It’s always better to eat carbohydrates in their whole form, and moderation is key to enjoying refined carbs.
One thing to watch out for on your nutrition label is the term total carbohydrates which actually includes added sugars as well as starches and fiber.
Protein
Protein is an important tool to have in your weight loss arsenal because it helps to stabilize your blood sugar, improves satiety, and helps to build and preserve muscle.
Experts recommend that you aim to eat at least 45g per day for women and 55g per day for men, but this number can be higher if you are trying to build muscle.
A good rule of thumb is to choose snacks that have between 10-20g of protein per serving.
Sugar
Sugar is perhaps the worst health offender in processed foods, in part because it appears under many different names. High fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, honey, agave, stevia, and more are all forms of added sugar.
Experts recommend that women eat no more than 25g per day and men 36g per day of added sugar.
On your nutrition label, you might see two different categorizations for sugar: total sugar is the sugar that is naturally present in a food item, while added sugars indicate those added during processing.
Sodium
Processed foods are often high in sodium both for flavor and because sodium is a preservative.
Many people are getting an excess of sodium in their diets already. A high sodium diet can have unwanted health effects like increased blood pressure and water retention which can hinder your weight loss.
The recommended daily value for sodium in the U.S. is 2300mg per day, but some health organizations recommend even an even lower goal, around 1500mg per day.
Somewhere within that range is probably ideal.
Other things you might see
You might find nutrients like dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, or potassium on your nutrition label, and that’s a good thing! All of these items are ones which typical Americans have a deficit of in their everyday diets.
Processed foods are often fortified with these nutrients to help people meet their recommended daily values.
You might also see items like cholesterol, which you want to limit. A food labeled “low cholesterol” must have less than 20mg of cholesterol per serving.
4. Understanding % Daily Value
The final part of the nutrition label can be found on the far right column and it depicts the % Daily Value (%DV). This number is based on the standard 2000 calorie per day diet and it tells you how one serving contributes to your total daily diet.
This can help you to reach your daily nutritional goals without having to do a ton of pesky math based on the milligrams, grams, or other measurements given to you on your nutrition label.
By general rule of thumb, experts say that 5% DV or less of a nutrient per serving is considered low while 20% DV or more of a nutrient per serving is considered high.
Understand that high cholesterol or saturated fat is much different from high protein or high fiber. Whether you are looking for a low or high number depends on the nutrient as well as your own unique goals.
Shop Smarter Not Harder
Try not to be too overwhelmed by reading nutrition labels. Like anything else, practice makes it easier over time.
When is reading labels helpful?
Nutrition labels can help you to compare similar items, such as two different brands of granola, and helps you to make the better choice to meet your goals.
Nutrition labels can also help to dispel misleading marketing claims such as “all natural” or “low fat.” Just because the package says it’s good for you, doesn’t necessarily make that true.
A good rule of thumb is to prioritize foods with minimal additives and shorter ingredients lists, and you can use your new knowledge to quickly glance at an item and know whether it fits into your health plan.
For example, choose foods that have higher %DV of protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals and leave behind the ones have high %DV of sodium, saturated fat, or cholesterol.
Finally, it’s always best to prioritize whole foods over processed and packaged ones, though we understand that sometimes convenience and accessibility are more important than perfection!
Using Nutrition Labels While on GLP-1 Medications
GLP-1 medications like tirzepatide can help control your appetite and prevent overeating, but understanding and monitoring your nutritional intake is still important to a balance diet, especially when it comes to weight loss.
Eating right can also help prevent unwanted side effects like nausea, constipation, and indigestion. For that purpose, you want to eat foods that are high in protein and fiber.
You might also avoid foods that are high in fat or oil which can exacerbate side effects.
Follow the link for a complete run down of which foods to choose when on GLP-1s!
Empower Yourself to Make Great Choices
You don’t have to feel overwhelmed by reading nutrition labels. They are simply there to help you better understand what you are consuming.
Once you know the four main parts of the nutrition label, you can start to practice awareness around your consumption.
The more you understand what you are eating, the better choices you can make about what you are putting into your body and how it helps or hinders your goals.
Finally, remember consistency over perfection! You don’t have to get everything exactly right everyday, but rather aim to make good choices most of the time and allow yourself to indulge in moderation.
Need more support? Reach out to us at TeleHealthNP to help create a personalized plan with all the support you need to become your healthiest, most confident you!
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