How to read a nutrition facts table? Your complete guide

November 24, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the FDA, the updated nutrition facts label provides key information to help consumers make more informed food choices. Knowing how to read a nutrition facts table? empowers you to understand what you're really eating and how it impacts your health, putting you in control of your diet.

Quick Summary

Decipher food labels by understanding serving sizes, calories, and % Daily Values, helping you identify key nutrients to limit or prioritize for better health.

Key Points

Serving Size: Always check the serving size first, as all nutritional values depend on this amount.
Percent Daily Value (%DV): A quick guide where 5% or less is low and 20% or more is high.
Nutrients to Limit: Choose foods with lower %DV for saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.
Nutrients to Get More Of: Opt for foods with a higher %DV for dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium.
Added vs. Total Sugars: Pay special attention to the 'Added Sugars' line, which is separate from naturally occurring sugars.
Ingredients List: Scan the ingredient list for hidden names for sugar and to ensure desired ingredients are prominent.

The Foundation: Serving Information

When you first look at a nutrition facts table, the most critical information is at the very top: the serving size and servings per container. The serving size reflects a standardized amount of food that people typically consume, but it is not a recommendation for how much you should eat. All other nutrient and calorie information on the label is based on this specific serving size. This means if you consume two servings, you must double all the listed values, including calories, fat, and sodium. Always compare the stated serving size to the amount you plan to eat to avoid underestimating your total intake.

Understanding Calories and Key Nutrients

Calories

Calories indicate the amount of energy you get from a single serving of the food. Balancing the calories you consume with the calories your body uses is essential for maintaining a healthy weight. The label provides a quick reference, but your personal caloric needs will vary based on age, sex, weight, and activity level.

Fats

The fats section distinguishes between different types, which is vital for cardiovascular health. The label lists:

Total Fat: This is the total amount of fat per serving and includes saturated, trans, and unsaturated fats.
Saturated Fat: Eating too much saturated fat can increase your risk of heart disease. Aim for foods with a lower % Daily Value of saturated fat.
Trans Fat: Experts recommend avoiding trans fats as much as possible due to their links to heart disease. Look for “0 g” on the label and check the ingredients for “partially hydrogenated oil,” which indicates the presence of trace amounts.

Carbohydrates, Fiber, and Sugars

This section helps you understand your body's primary energy source:

Total Carbohydrate: Includes fiber, naturally occurring sugars, and added sugars.
Dietary Fiber: A nutrient most Americans don’t get enough of. It supports digestion and can help lower cholesterol. Aim for foods with a higher % Daily Value of fiber.
Total Sugars: Represents both naturally occurring sugars (from fruit and milk) and added sugars.
Added Sugars: These are sugars and syrups added during processing and should be limited. The FDA now requires food labels to list added sugars separately, indicated by the word “includes” before “Added Sugars”.

Protein

Protein is vital for building and maintaining body tissues. While most adults and children get enough protein, the label provides the amount per serving.

Sodium

High sodium intake is linked to high blood pressure. The label lists sodium in milligrams, and a low % Daily Value is preferable for heart health.

Vitamins and Minerals

The label identifies key nutrients like Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, and Potassium, which many people lack. These are listed with their % Daily Value to help you find foods rich in these essential nutrients. The FDA website offers further details on these required nutrients.

Deciphering the Percent Daily Value (%DV)

The % Daily Value (%DV) shows how much a single serving of a food contributes to your total daily diet, based on a standard 2,000-calorie diet. It provides a quick way to assess if a food is high or low in a particular nutrient without having to do complex calculations.

5% DV or less is considered low for that nutrient.
20% DV or more is considered high for that nutrient. Use the %DV to choose foods lower in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars, and higher in dietary fiber and essential vitamins.

Putting It Into Practice: A Comparison

To illustrate the importance of label reading, here is a comparison between canned and frozen vegetables, focusing on sodium based on information from the NHLBI.


Feature	Canned Peas and Carrots (per 1/2 cup)	Frozen Peas and Carrots (per 1/2 cup)
Sodium	360mg	125mg
%DV Sodium	15% (High)	5% (Low)

This table clearly shows that while both products offer similar nutrition, the frozen option contains significantly less sodium, making it the healthier choice for a low-sodium diet.

The Ingredients List: A Deeper Dive

The ingredients list, located below the nutrition facts table, is also crucial. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so the first few items make up the largest proportion of the product.

To spot added sugars, look for these aliases early in the list:

Words ending in “ose” (dextrose, fructose, sucrose)
Syrups (corn syrup, honey, maple syrup)
Cane sugar, raw sugar, or fruit juice concentrates

Conclusion: Becoming a Label-Reading Expert

Mastering the nutrition facts table is a powerful step towards making healthier dietary decisions. By starting with the serving size, understanding the difference between good and bad nutrients using the %DV, and scrutinizing the ingredients list, you can become an informed consumer. The information is there to help you compare products, limit nutrients that are overconsumed (like saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium), and increase your intake of beneficial nutrients (like fiber, Vitamin D, and potassium). Incorporating these skills into your grocery routine will lead to a more balanced and health-conscious lifestyle.

Frequently Asked Questions

The most important section to check is the serving size, which is located at the top of the label. All calorie and nutrient information on the table is based on this specific amount.

A %DV of 5% or less for a nutrient per serving is considered low. A %DV of 20% or more is considered high. Use this guideline to make quick comparisons between products.

First, look for the 'Added Sugars' line, which is listed separately under 'Total Sugars'. You can also check the ingredients list for names like corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, or any ingredients ending in '-ose'.

For most people, it is healthier to choose foods that are lower in sodium. A %DV of 5% or less is a good guideline for a low-sodium choice.

Look for foods that have a high %DV of dietary fiber, meaning 20% or more. Good sources include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Total Sugars include both sugars found naturally in foods like fruits and milk, and added sugars. The 'Added Sugars' line specifically lists sugars and syrups that were put in during processing.

While most trans fats have been phased out, you should look for “0 g” on the label and check the ingredient list for “partially hydrogenated oil” as this indicates trace amounts may still be present.