First, read the SERVING SIZE information shown on the top portion of the panel. Serving sizes are becoming more standardized now so similar products now have similar serving sizes to the amounts people actually eat. This makes it easy for you to compare nutrients contained in a serving of similar foods. Total calories and calories from fat are also shown to help you meet recommendations for dietary guidelines. Use caution! Some packages will look like small amounts of a certain aspect such as total calories for a container, but the actual serving size may be a fraction of the total package.
Next, read the NUTRIENT LIST that appears in the middle portion of the label. This list includes nutrients that you need to consider when planning a well-balanced diet. These nutrients include total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, dietary fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. The amount of each of the nutrients is listed in grams.
You will notice the PERCENT DAILY VALUE (%DV) listed for the nutrients in a serving of food. The %DV are reference numbers based on a 2000 calorie diet. You can use them to determine what a serving of food contributes to your daily nutrient needs. They will help you decide if a food contributes a lot or a little of the nutrients. Look to see if the nutrients you want to get more of have high percentages. Check to be sure that the nutrients you may want to limit have low percentages. The idea is for you to use the %DV to quickly compare foods to see how it may contribute to your total daily diet.