Read a Nutrition Label Properly

Learning to decipher the labels on a food pack can be quite an ordeal. However, you do need to know the exact meaning depicted in the labels if you want to derive the full nutritional benefit from a packaged food product. The FDA has enforced the inclusion of labels since 1994 thus ensuring that the common people get what they want instead of being misled by various promotional campaigns. Let us now take a look at the various facts that are found in the labels.

Servings- The first information that you can get by reading a label correctly is the number of servings or the serving size. Reading the serving size may perplex you somewhat specially if you find something like ½ or ¼ shown on the label. This simply means the actual quantity of the product to be counted as a single serving. The number of servings per pack is much simpler to understand as you will be able to realize the amount of the food product that needs to be served.

Nutrition Facts- The next part of the label contains the actual amount of fats, proteins and carbohydrates contained in the packaged food product. While the actual measurement may often be seen in the label, a percentage of the actual value needed can also be found on the label periodically. The amount of sodium and dietary fibers is displayed within this part of the label as well.

Vitamins and Minerals- The FDA has specified that the total amount of vitamins A and C as well as the quantities of important minerals like calcium and iron be included in the dietary facts of a packaged food product. A few packages and cartons may include additional information about niacin or folic acid particularly if the product is a rich source of them.

Dietary Requirements- While this portion is often excluded from smaller sized packs, an average to large sized carton generally includes this information as an integral part of the label. This is a extremely efficient way of finding all about your dietary needs based on an average calorie requirement of 2000-2500 each day.