6 Steps to Decode & Understand a Nutrition Facts Label

May 25, 2018

The first time you look at a nutrition facts label it can be dizzying. What do all those numbers mean? What should you be looking for?

If you have undergone or considering weight loss surgery, it is important to understand the information on nutrition labels to help make informed decisions about what is best for your body. When you first start reading nutrition labels in the grocery store, it may be time-consuming, but don’t worry. The more you practice, the faster you will be at decoding a nutrition label.  Follow these six steps and you will be cruising the grocery aisle with confidence in no time.

6 Steps to Understand a Nutrition Facts Label

Step 1:

First look at the serving size. This is the most important step!

Is the serving size 1/2 cup or 1 cup?

It could also be listed as grams, such as 25g or 125g.

Food items that list grams are using a weight measurement while those that use cup sizes use a volume measurement. It is helpful to have a food scale and measuring cups and spoons on hand to properly measure out a serving size. When you are first learning about portion sizes it is recommended to measure the exact serving size prior to eating it, so you know what you are putting in your body.

It is also useful to look at how many servings are in a container. For instance, the serving size may be a ½ cup, but there may be four servings in a container. Therefore, there would be four ½ c servings in the container. Sometimes it is all too easy to consume a whole package of chips or ice cream which is why it is important to look at the serving size.

Fortunately, there are new label laws going into effect on January 1, 2020, that will force companies to list how many calories are in a whole package so you do not need to do the math on your own.

Step 2:

Look at the calories

If you are keeping track of how many calories you are eating each day then it is important to look at how many calories are in a serving size. Calories tell you how much energy is in the serving size.

This energy is used as fuel by your body to perform everyday activities such as breathing, digesting food and to exercise. Everyone has different calorie needs based on their sex, height, weight, and activity level, but typically if a food item has more than 400 calories in a serving size it is considered to be high.

Step 3:

Look at the macronutrients

The next section of the nutrition label highlights how much of each macronutrient is in a serving size. Macronutrients include fat, carbohydrates, and protein. All of the macronutrients are important for your overall health, and you need a balance of all of these in your diet.

How much fat you need in your diet is a hot topic. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), you should get about 20-35% of your calories from fat.

Although how much fat you need in your diet is debated, one thing that health professionals do agree on is that you want to avoid or limit trans fat. Trans fat is listed under fats on the nutrition label. Limit this nutrient in your diet as much as possible.

Carbohydrates are listed below fat. Fiber and sugar are subheadings under carbohydrates because both are considered a carbohydrate, but both act differently in your body. Fiber is not well absorbed in your body and adds bulk to your stools and assists in bowel regularity. Sugars, on the other hand, may increase your blood sugars and could cause dumping if you have had weight loss surgery. Typically you want to choose a food item that is higher in fiber and lower in sugar.

Some foods, such as fruit and milk, contain natural sugars, while other food items such as cookies have added sugars. Most health professionals agree that you should limit added sugars in your diet and eat more natural sugars instead.

So how do you know if there are added sugars in a food item? Look at the ingredients. If sugar, honey, maltose, sucrose, fructose, or corn syrup are listed then the food has added sugar.

Fortunately, the new nutrition labels will highlight how many added grams of sugar are in a food item and how many grams are naturally occurring The new food labels will add a layer of transparency from food companies.

Step 4:

Look at the micronutrients

These would include vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. Typically you want to try and eat more of these nutrients. The new nutrition labels will no longer require companies to list vitamins A or C. Instead Vitamin D will be listed and the mineral potassium.

Step 5:

Look at the % daily values (%DV)

If you look at the right column of a nutrition label you will notice % Daily Values (%DV). These percentages tell you how much of that certain nutrient meets your total daily requirements. These are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. For instance, if the label states that fat provides 20% DV then it means that food item provides 20% of your total fat needs for the day.

Step 6:

Lastly, look at the ingredients

Ingredients provide valuable information. The ingredients are listed in order of weight from most to least. For instance, if you are looking at bread, most likely flour will be listed as the first ingredient since it is the most abundant ingredient in bread.

As a general rule, you want to avoid foods that have sugar listed in the first 5 ingredients. If a food product lists “partially hydrogenated soybean oil” this indicates the food has trans fat.

You may be wondering why a food product with partially hydrogenated soybean has zero trans-fat listed? According to the USDA, food companies can list zero trans-fat if a serving size provides less than 0.5g. This is why it is important to read nutrition labels thoroughly.

Since everyone is different, it is important to discuss with your dietitian or surgeon team what nutrients you should be focusing on when you go to the grocery store.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kristin Willard, RDN, CSG, CLT, has been a Registered Dietitian for eight years. She is currently in the process of creating BariatricMealPrep.com where she will deliver recipes, credible nutrition advice and inspiration for those considering or have undergone weight loss surgery. She is a member of ASMBS and works in a bariatric clinic in Northern California. Her Facebook Group is BariatricMealPrep. Read more articles from Kristin!

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