How to Read a Nutrition Facts Label: A Quick Guide
Learn to read a US Nutrition Facts label in under a minute: serving size, calories, %Daily Value and which nutrients to limit or look for.
Food packaging can be confusing, but the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods in the United States follows a standard layout. Once you know where to look, you can compare products in seconds.
1. Start with the serving size
Everything on the label relates to one serving, not the whole pack. Check the serving size and how many servings are in the container. If a bag contains 2.5 servings and one serving is 200 calories, eating the whole bag means about 500 calories.
2. Look at the calories
Calories show how much energy you get from one serving. Whether a number is high or low depends on your age, activity level and goals. As a rough general guide for adults, 40 calories per serving is considered low, 100 moderate and 400 or more high.
3. Use the %Daily Value
The %Daily Value (%DV) column shows how much of a nutrient one serving provides, based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet. It makes comparison easy:
- 5% DV or less is considered low.
- 20% DV or more is considered high.
4. Choose what to limit and what to get more of
| Try to limit | Try to get enough of |
|---|---|
| Saturated fat | Dietary fibre |
| Sodium (salt) | Vitamin D |
| Added sugars | Calcium |
| Trans fat (aim to avoid) | Iron and potassium |
For nutrients you want to limit, you generally want a low %DV. For nutrients you want more of, a higher %DV is better.
5. Check the added sugars line
The label separates total sugars from added sugars. Natural sugars in milk or fruit are included in the total, while added sugars are those put in during processing. Many health agencies recommend keeping added sugars low.
6. Read the ingredients list
Ingredients are listed by weight, from most to least. If sugar, refined flour or oils appear near the start, they make up a large share of the product. The list also helps you spot allergens.
A 30-second routine
- Check the serving size.
- Glance at calories.
- Scan %DV for sodium, saturated fat and added sugars.
- Look for fibre and key vitamins.
- Compare with a similar product.
This article is general information, not medical or dietary advice. If you have a health condition or allergy, speak to a doctor or registered dietitian.
Frequently asked questions
What does %Daily Value mean?
It shows how much a nutrient in one serving contributes to a daily diet. The figures are based on a 2,000-calorie diet, so your own needs may be higher or lower.
What counts as a lot or a little?
As a general guide from the US Food and Drug Administration, 5% DV or less of a nutrient per serving is low, and 20% DV or more is high.
Do labels outside the US look the same?
No. The UK and EU use a different format, usually showing nutrients per 100 g and often a front-of-pack colour-coded system. The same principles of checking serving size and key nutrients still apply.
