Your Essential Guide on How to read labels for diabetes?

October 25, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the American Diabetes Association, reading and understanding nutrition labels is a key tool for making healthy food choices that can significantly impact blood sugar control. Knowing how to read labels for diabetes? is a crucial skill for navigating the grocery store and achieving better health outcomes.

Quick Summary

A guide for people with diabetes on how to interpret food labels, focusing on serving size, total carbohydrates, and added sugars. Key sections cover deciphering carb counts, identifying hidden sugars, understanding fat and sodium content, and using Percent Daily Value to compare products.

Key Points

Start with Serving Size: Always check the number of servings per container and the serving size first, as all nutritional information is based on this value.
Focus on Total Carbs: The Total Carbohydrate number is the most crucial figure for managing blood sugar, as it includes starches, sugars, and fiber.
Check for Added Sugars: Pay close attention to the Added Sugars line and the ingredients list, looking for syrups and words ending in "-ose," to minimize spikes in blood glucose.
Beware of Unhealthy Fats: Minimize your intake of saturated and trans fats to protect your cardiovascular health; aim for low %DV for these nutrients.
Choose High Fiber: Opt for products with a high dietary fiber content (5g+ per serving), as fiber helps regulate blood sugar and improves digestive health.
Use % Daily Value as a Guide: Use the %DV to quickly compare similar products and identify foods that are low in unwanted nutrients (5% or less) and high in beneficial ones (20% or more).
Remember Ingredients Order: Ingredients are listed by weight, so if sugar or refined grains are among the first few items, the product is likely less healthy for blood sugar control.

The First Steps: Serving Size and Servings Per Container

Before you dive into the numbers, always check the very top of the label for the serving information. This is the starting point for all other calculations.

Serving Size: This shows the standard amount of food for which all the nutritional data is listed. A serving might be a handful, a cup, or a specific number of items, like crackers.
Servings Per Container: This indicates how many total servings are in the package. Don't be fooled by small bags or containers that appear to be a single serving—they often contain multiple. If you eat the entire package, you must multiply all the listed nutritional values by the number of servings to get your actual intake.

Deciphering the Carbohydrate Count

For most people with diabetes, managing carbohydrate intake is the most critical aspect of diet management.

Total Carbohydrate: This is the most important number for tracking your blood sugar impact, as it includes starches, fiber, and sugars. If you are counting carbs, this is the figure you will use for your calculations.
Dietary Fiber: A type of carbohydrate, fiber is beneficial for blood sugar control because it is not digested and can slow the absorption of other carbs. Look for foods with higher fiber content (5 grams or more per serving).
Total Sugars and Added Sugars: The label now separates these two categories. Total sugars include naturally occurring sugars (like in fruit and milk) and added sugars. The Added Sugars line is crucial for diabetes management, as these rapidly increase blood glucose levels.

How to Spot Hidden Sugars in the Ingredients List

The ingredients list, which is printed below the nutrition panel, lists all ingredients in descending order by weight. If a form of sugar is listed near the top, the product is likely high in added sugars.

Here are some common names for added sugars to look out for:

Syrups: High-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, brown rice syrup
Words ending in "-ose": Dextrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, sucrose
Natural-sounding sweeteners: Honey, agave nectar, fruit juice concentrate, cane sugar

The Lowdown on Fats and Sodium

Beyond carbohydrates, managing your intake of fats and sodium is important for overall health, especially cardiovascular health, which is a concern for many people with diabetes.

Fats: Prioritize foods with low saturated fat and no trans fat. Trans fats are especially harmful and can be identified by the term "partially hydrogenated oil" in the ingredients list. Look for healthier unsaturated fats from sources like nuts and olive oil.
Sodium: A high sodium intake can raise blood pressure. Look for products with low sodium content, generally less than 400 mg per serving, and aim for less than 2,300 mg per day. The %DV can be a helpful guide here.

Understanding Fiber and Net Carbs

While dietary fiber is important, the concept of "net carbs" can be misleading. The American Diabetes Association recommends focusing on total carbohydrates, as the calculation for net carbs can be inaccurate and is not regulated. Some people, however, subtract half or all of the sugar alcohols and all the fiber from the total carbohydrates to estimate net carbs.

Comparing Products with the % Daily Value (%DV)

The %DV helps you understand how a food fits into a 2,000-calorie daily diet. It is particularly useful for comparing similar products at a glance.

5% DV or less is considered a low source of a nutrient. Aim for a low %DV for saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.
20% DV or more is considered a high source. Aim for a high %DV for beneficial nutrients like dietary fiber.

Nutrition Label Comparison Table: Cereal Choices


Nutrient	Cereal A (Good Choice)	Cereal B (Less Good Choice)
Serving Size	1 cup	1 cup
Total Carbohydrate	30 g	45 g
Dietary Fiber	6 g	2 g
Total Sugars	8 g	20 g
Added Sugars	1 g	18 g
Sodium	150 mg	350 mg
Saturated Fat	0.5 g	2 g
%DV Fiber	21%	7%
Ingredients	Whole grain oats, chicory root, cinnamon...	Corn flour, sugar, corn syrup...

Conclusion: Making Informed Choices

Learning to read nutrition labels is an empowering step toward better diabetes management. By consistently checking for serving size, total carbohydrates, added sugars, and unhealthy fats, you can make informed choices that positively impact your blood sugar and overall health. For further guidance and resources, consider visiting the American Diabetes Association website or consulting with a registered dietitian. Making label reading a regular habit will help you stay on track with your nutritional goals and make smarter, healthier decisions every time you shop.

Frequently Asked Questions

For people with diabetes, the most important section is the Total Carbohydrate count, as this number directly influences blood glucose levels. Additionally, checking the Added Sugars and Dietary Fiber content provides more detailed information on a product's impact.

Foods labeled 'sugar-free' may still contain carbohydrates from other sources, which can affect your blood sugar. Always check the Total Carbohydrate count and the ingredients list for other sweeteners or starches.

To find hidden sugars, check the ingredients list. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so if sugar or its many alternative names appear near the top, the product is likely high in added sugars.

The American Diabetes Association recommends focusing on total carbohydrates, as the 'net carbs' calculation is not regulated and can be inaccurate. Counting total carbs ensures you account for all components that affect blood sugar.

The serving size is the basis for all the numbers on the label. If you eat two servings, you must double all the nutritional values, including calories, carbs, and fats. It's a common mistake to overlook this.

For better heart health, minimize saturated and trans fats and limit sodium intake. Look for products with low %DV for these nutrients and avoid any products containing 'partially hydrogenated oil'.

The 5/20 rule is a quick way to interpret the % Daily Value. Aim for 5% DV or less for nutrients you want to limit (like sodium and saturated fat) and 20% DV or more for nutrients you want to increase (like fiber).