Reading Food Labels

How to understand serving sizes, compare added sugars and sodium, and see past the claims on the front of the package.

Two soups are on the shelf. One says “reduced sodium.” The other makes no claim at all. You turn them around and discover that the reduced-sodium soup still has more sodium per cup. Both labels can be accurate. “Reduced” describes a comparison with a reference product, while the Nutrition Facts panel tells you how much sodium is in the soup you’re actually buying. FDA

That’s the skill behind reading food labels: knowing which part of the package answers your question. The serving information tells you what the numbers refer to. The Nutrition Facts panel gives you amounts. The ingredients list tells you what went into the food. And the front of the package highlights the features the manufacturer wants you to notice.

This guide uses U.S. food labels. If you only have a few seconds in the grocery aisle, start with the serving size, find the nutrient you care about, and check the ingredients if you need to avoid something. FDA

Start with the serving size

The first two lines to find are serving size and servings per container. They answer different questions. Serving size tells you the amount of food the label’s numbers describe. Servings per container tells you how many of those portions are in the package. In the U.S., a labeled serving reflects how much people typically eat or drink at one time. It doesn’t prescribe how much you should eat. FDA

Suppose a bag of trail mix lists a serving size of ¼ cup and contains four servings. If you pour ½ cup, you’re eating two labeled servings. Double the calories and each nutrient amount to estimate what’s in your bowl. If you eat the whole bag over a long drive, multiply by four. Some packages list both per-serving and per-package values, which saves you the calculation. FDA

Here’s what the math looks like for a hypothetical bag:

This also matters when you compare brands. One cereal might list nutrients per cup and another per ¾ cup. If you pour about the same volume of either cereal, adjust the numbers to that volume. If you want to compare equal amounts by weight, use the grams listed next to the serving sizes. Either approach is more useful than comparing two numbers that describe different amounts of food. FDA

What does Percent Daily Value mean?

Percent Daily Value, written as %DV, shows how much of a daily reference amount a nutrient in one serving provides. It’s a quick way to judge whether a serving contains a little or a lot of something without having to remember every Daily Value in grams or milligrams. The FDA’s general rule is that 5% DV or less is low and 20% DV or more is high for a nutrient in one serving. FDA

Whether a high percentage is useful depends on the nutrient and what you’re shopping for. If you want a cereal with more fiber, a higher fiber %DV may help you choose. If you’re looking for a lower-sodium soup, you’ll usually want a lower sodium %DV. And if you eat two servings, you’re getting roughly twice the amount and twice the listed percentage, allowing for rounding. FDA

The Daily Values are labeling references. If your care team has given you a specific sodium or carbohydrate target, use that plan and look at the actual milligrams or grams. Also, the %DV is a share of the daily reference amount, not the percentage of the food made up by that nutrient. A snack with 20% DV for fiber is providing one-fifth of the reference amount of fiber for the day. FDA

Read the lines that matter for your goal

Total sugars and added sugars

Total Sugars includes sugars naturally present in foods, such as milk or fruit, plus any sugars added during processing or preparation. Added Sugars is already included in that total. If a yogurt lists 14 grams of total sugars and says “Includes 8 g Added Sugars,” the serving contains 14 grams of sugar altogether. Eight of those grams are added. You don’t add the two lines together. FDA

This distinction makes it easier to compare foods you use in the same way. A plain yogurt can show sugar on the label because milk naturally contains lactose. A flavored yogurt may show more total sugar and also list added sugars. If you’re trying to reduce added sugar, compare the added-sugar line for the amount you usually eat. If you’re counting carbs for diabetes, start with total carbohydrate instead. FDA

Total carbohydrate and fiber

The Total Carbohydrate line includes starches, sugars, and fiber. A food can contain little sugar and still provide a substantial amount of carbohydrate from starch. That’s why the sugar line alone won’t tell you the carbohydrate content of crackers, bread, or plain pasta. If you use carb counts to guide insulin, follow the counting method your diabetes team has taught you, including how to handle fiber or sugar alcohols if relevant. FDA

If your goal is to find a higher-fiber food, compare the grams of fiber for the portion you’ll actually eat. For example, a bread with 3 grams of fiber per slice gives you 6 grams in a two-slice sandwich. A brand listing 4 grams per two slices gives you 4 grams for the same sandwich. Checking the serving size first keeps the bigger number from misleading you. FDA

Sodium

Sodium is listed in milligrams. Packaged foods such as bread, soups, sauces, and prepared meals can contribute sodium even when they don’t taste particularly salty. If you’re comparing soups, check sodium per cup or per bowl. If you’re comparing sauces, ask how much you actually use. A product with 160 mg per tablespoon contributes 480 mg when you use three tablespoons. FDA

Total fat and saturated fat

Total Fat tells you the total amount of fat in the serving. Saturated Fat is listed separately as part of that total. If your goal is to reduce saturated fat, compare that line directly. For instance, two spreads may have a similar total fat content but different amounts of saturated fat. Comparing the amounts you would spread on a piece of toast gives you a better basis for choosing. FDA

Calories and protein

Calories tell you how much energy the labeled serving provides. Protein is listed in grams and can help you compare products you’re buying for a similar purpose. A yogurt you plan to have as a snack and one you plan to use as a sauce may call for different priorities. If you’re comparing two snacks to see which gives you more protein, check the amount in the portion you’d actually eat. Then consider whether that portion, its price, and its taste fit what you need. FDA

How to read the ingredients list

Ingredients are generally listed in descending order by weight, so the first few give you a sense of what the food is mainly made from. The list can help you tell whether a bread uses whole-wheat flour, whether a drink contains a sweetener you want to avoid, or whether a sauce includes an ingredient you’re allergic to. For exact amounts of nutrients such as fiber and added sugar, return to the Nutrition Facts panel. FDA

Suppose you’re comparing two brown breads. One lists whole-wheat flour first. The other lists enriched wheat flour first and includes several other grains farther down. If your goal is to choose a bread made mainly with whole grain, those first ingredients give you more information than the color of the loaf or the word “multigrain.” If your goal is to get more fiber in your sandwich, compare the grams of fiber per slice as well.

Use the ingredients list to answer a specific question. A short list can be useful when you’re looking for a simple staple, but length alone doesn’t tell you whether a product fits your needs. A seasoned bean soup might have a long list because it contains several vegetables, herbs, and spices. The sodium and fiber lines will tell you more about those nutrients than counting the ingredients will. FDA

If you’re checking for food allergens

U.S. labeling rules identify nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. On most packaged foods covered by FDA rules, an allergen used as an ingredient can be identified in the ingredients list or in a separate “Contains” statement. Read the full list even if you don’t see a separate statement. Check it again when you buy a familiar product, since ingredients and manufacturing practices can change. FDA

Advisory phrases such as “may contain” or “made in a facility that also processes” are voluntary statements about possible cross-contact. The absence of one doesn’t establish that there was no cross-contact. If you have a food allergy and are unsure whether a product is safe for you, follow the guidance from your allergy care team and contact the manufacturer if you need more information. FDA

How to interpret claims on the front of the package

Front-of-package claims can help you narrow down your options. They’re easier to use when you know what each claim tells you and which number to check next.

The quickest way to test a claim is to turn it into a question. “Reduced sodium” becomes “How much sodium is in the bowl I’ll eat?” “No added sugar” becomes “How much total carbohydrate is in my usual portion?” That takes you from the feature highlighted on the front to the number you can use. FDA

Three examples you can use while shopping

1. Compare two yogurts for breakfast

Suppose one yogurt lists 15 g total sugars, including 8 g added sugars, and the other lists 8 g total sugars and 0 g added sugars for the same serving size. If your priority is less added sugar, the second has less. If you’re also buying yogurt as a protein source, check protein separately. You can then decide whether you’d enjoy it plain or whether you’d rather add fruit or another topping at home. The numbers in this example are illustrative. FDA

2. Compare two soups for lunch

Soup A lists 480 mg of sodium per cup. Soup B lists 350 mg per ¾ cup. At first glance, Soup B looks much lower. Adjust it to one cup and it comes to about 467 mg. The difference for the same bowl is about 13 mg. You may still prefer one soup for its ingredients, price, or taste. The serving-size adjustment shows that sodium probably isn’t a big difference between these two examples. FDA

3. Check a snack you usually eat from the bag

Suppose a bag of crackers contains 2½ servings, each with 140 calories and 18 g of carbohydrate. The whole bag contains about 350 calories and 45 g of carbohydrate. If you usually eat half the bag, you’re having about 175 calories and 22.5 g of carbohydrate. The label gives you the information you need once you know how much of the package you’re eating. FDA

Common questions about food labels

Do I need to check every number?

Start with the reason you picked up the package. If you’re buying soup and want less sodium, look at sodium for the bowl you’ll eat. If you’re buying a snack for someone with a food allergy, check the ingredients and allergen information first. You can pay attention to different parts of the label for different foods. FDA

What if I can’t find an added-sugar percentage?

Some single-ingredient sugars and syrups use a different display for added sugars. For ordinary packaged foods, look for the “Includes” line under Total Sugars. If your question is how much carbohydrate you’re eating, use the Total Carbohydrate line and the serving size. FDA

What’s the difference between Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts?

Nutrition Facts is the panel you’ll usually see on packaged foods. Supplement Facts appears on products sold as dietary supplements, such as many vitamin capsules and powders. On both, start with serving size and check what amount is listed for that serving. For supplements, also check the suggested use so you know how many servings the manufacturer directs you to take. FDA

How can I make this faster at the store?

Pick two products you buy often and compare them once when you have a little time. For cereal, you might check fiber and added sugar for the amount you pour. For soup, you might compare sodium per bowl. Once you know which product fits what you’re looking for, you can usually make the same choice quickly on your next trip. If you have a food allergy, keep checking the ingredients each time. FDA

Try it with one package in your kitchen. Find the serving size and compare it with the amount you usually eat. Then choose one line that matters to you and calculate what’s in your portion. A two-slice sandwich, a full bowl of soup, or a handful of trail mix is a better starting point than a number on its own.