In this post, we will learn how to interpret a nutrition label. In previous posts, we defined what a nutrition label is and its uses as well as its contents namely: the ingredients list, key nutrients, health and nutrition claims. A label may also contain the %Daily value or Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) and serving size.
However, depending on food package, some of these contents may be included or excluded. For instance, not all food labels will include all the 13 key nutrients because a food may not contain a nutrient, and not all labels will include nutrition and health claims.
Ingredients list
The ingredients list contains the list of ingredients contained in a food item. Usually, ingredients are listed with the most in quantity being the first. For example, the label of a croissant or muffin may have flour as the first ingredient, because it is the ingredient used in highest quantity.
The ingredient list can also be helpful if you have any allergic reactions as it can inform you about which foods to select or avoid. For instance, if you have a peanut allergy, reading through the ingredients list can help you identify whether a food item contains any nuts, which you can then avoid and opt for alternatives.
Key nutrients
Different food packages have different nutrients contained. Normally, there are 13 key nutrients that should be included in a nutrition label, though you will realize that it is not always that every label has those key nutrients. For example, if you buy cooking oil, you may notice that some ingredients such as sugars and protein may not be included because they are not contained in oil.
Generally, when you read the section on nutrients, the following nutrients may be indicated:
- Calories-The energy contained in a food item as per certain measure either serving or per certain grams i.e. 100 grams. Under calories, you may notice, that a certain portion is designated as calories from fat, meaning that portion comes from fats.
- Vitamins and minerals –Usually , the likely vitamins and minerals to be listed in a nutrition label include: Iron, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C.
- Total sugars-These are all forms of sugars including those that are found naturally in a food as well as any added sugars.
- Added sugars– Sugars that are not found in a food but are added during processing.
- Total fat –All forms of fat in a food product whether saturated or unsaturated fats. Their quantities may further be specified.
- Protein-The protein content in a food item, mostly in meats or legumes.
Serving size
When you read a nutrition label, you can find out the particular serving size of a food package.
For example, you may pick a food item, which reads as follows:
1 serving size=1 cup (125g)
Whole package or container =5 serving sizes
Meaning that the whole package is worth 5 serving sizes, and a serving size for this product is 1 cup which is about 125g. Therefore, if let’s say you consume half of the package, you will have consumed about 2 and a half servings of the food.
Health And Nutrition Claims
Also, you may observe that certain nutrition labels contain health and nutrition claims whereby a food product is linked to a particular health benefit it provides.
Some examples of nutrition and health claims may include: Low sodium, no added sugars or low cholesterol etc.
Guideline Daily Amount (GDA)
Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) is a guiding tool that informs the quantity of energy and nutrients a healthy adult should consume in a day. Usually, the GDA is based on a 2000 calorie diet.
To illustrate: if the GDA for a nutrient in a serving is 20%, and you happened to consume a serving of that food item, it would mean that you have attained 20% of your requirements for that nutrient in that day. Thus, you would be remaining with 80% of that nutrient’s requirements, which you can obtain from other food sources.
GDA and % DV are somewhat similar. It is just that these terms vary depending on country.
Examples
Note that these are just examples to give you an idea.
Example 1:
A 2 litre bottle of beverage that lists:
Nutritional Values per 100g:
- Calories -80 Kcals
- Fat -0g
- Sodium -13 mg
means that if you ingest 100 grams of the beverage, you will obtain 80Kcals of energy, no fat and 13 mg of sodium.
Also, lets say, you ingest half the bottle, you will have consumed about:
800 Kcals of calories, no fat and 130 mg of sodium.
Example 2:
Perhaps, you purchase cooking oil and its label reads as follows:
Nutritional Values per 100g:
- Calories-900 Kcals
- Saturated fatty acids-50g-55g
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids-12g-14g
- Monounsaturated fatty acids-43g-45g
It implies that in a 100 grams: there is 900 calories/energy, 100 grams of fat, of which 12-14 grams is polyunsaturated fats, 43g-45g is monounsaturated fatty acids and 45g-50g is saturated fatty acids.
Example 3:
A food package with GDA values.
Nutritional Values per 100g:
- Calories 80 Kcals
- Total fat 5g 15%
- Fibre 11g 28%
- Sodium 130 mg 5%
Based on a 2000 calorie diet
The values in percentage are the GDAs.
So, as for this label, it means that if you consume 100 grams of this food product, you will have 15% of your fat requirements, 28% of fibre requirements and 5% of your sodium requirements met in that day. Hence, you will need to obtain 75% of fat, 72% of fibre and 95% of sodium from other food sources, for you to achieve your requirements for these nutrients for that day.