How to Read a Nutrition Facts Label (Beginner's Guide)

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• Learning to read a nutrition facts label is one of the most useful skills for healthy eating, and it starts with the serving size.

• Always check servings per container first: the calories and nutrients listed are per serving, not per package.

• The label flags nutrients to limit (saturated fat, sodium, added sugar) and ones to get enough of (fiber, calcium, potassium, iron).

• Use the 5/20 rule for Percent Daily Value: 5% or less is low in a nutrient, 20% or more is high.

• The ingredient list tells the real story: ingredients run from most to least, so look for whole, recognizable foods at the top.

Do you know what's really in your food?

Is the food you're eating actually good for you, or does it just look that way? Reading food labels can feel confusing at first, but it's an essential skill for healthy eating. Let's start with the basics: what nutrition facts labels and ingredient lists are, and how to use both.

What is the nutrition facts label?

Found on the back or side of packaged foods, the FDA-required nutrition facts label details a food's nutrient content: fat, sugar, sodium, fiber, and more. It's your guide to balancing macronutrients and practicing portion control. Just below it sits the ingredient list, which reveals the quality and source of those nutrients.

How to read a nutrition facts label, step by step

• Start with serving size and servings per container. All the numbers refer to one serving: if you eat two servings, double everything.

• Check the calories per serving, then multiply by how many servings you actually eat.

• Scan nutrients to limit: saturated and trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, and added sugar.

• Look for nutrients to get enough of: fiber, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron.

• Review your macronutrients: protein, fat, and carbohydrates, based on your goals.

• Note the breakdown: total fat splits into unsaturated, saturated, and trans; total carbs into fiber, sugar, and starch.

The 5/20 rule for Percent Daily Value

Percent Daily Value (%DV) shows how much a nutrient in one serving contributes to your day, based on a 2,000-calorie reference. An easy shortcut is the 5/20 rule: 5% or less means the food is low in that nutrient, and 20% or more means it's high. Use it to quickly choose foods lower in what you want to limit and higher in what you want more of.

How to read an ingredient list

Ingredients are listed from most to least, so the first few tell you what the food mostly is. Watch for hidden names: salt can appear as sodium benzoate or monosodium glutamate, and sugar as high-fructose corn syrup, dehydrated cane juice, or barley malt syrup. When in doubt, look an ingredient up. Aim for foods with whole, real ingredients in the first three. This is your best tool for spotting quality food, added sugars and refined carbs, and sweeteners on the label.

Put it into practice

Using the nutrition facts label (for balance and portions) together with the ingredient list (for quality) helps you make informed choices and reach your goals. To see how it all adds up across a full day, log your food in an app like MyFitnessPal.