The Nutrition Facts label is the standardized black-and-white panel on almost every packaged food and drink in the United States. Once you know the order to read it in, it takes about ten seconds to size up any product. Here is the sequence the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends.
Step 1: Start with the serving size
At the top, under the title, you'll find the serving size and the number of servings per container. Every nutrient number on the label refers to a single serving, not the whole package. If a bottle holds 2.5 servings and you drink the whole thing, you multiply everything by 2.5. Skipping this step is the most common labeling mistake people make. Read more in understanding serving sizes.
Step 2: Check the calories
Calories measure how much energy you get from one serving. In the 2016 label redesign, the FDA made this number large and bold because it is the figure most people want. Calories are neither good nor bad on their own — they only matter relative to how much energy your body uses. See calories on the label for context.
Step 3: Use the % Daily Value
The right-hand column shows the % Daily Value (%DV) — how much one serving contributes to a day's worth of each nutrient, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. A quick rule of thumb: 5% DV or less is low, and 20% DV or more is high. Use it to compare two products in seconds without doing any math. Learn the details in what is % Daily Value.
Step 4: Limit these nutrients
Public-health guidance says most people get too much saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. These are grouped together on the label because eating less of them is linked to lower risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. The added sugars line was added specifically so you can see sugar that was put into a product versus sugar that occurs naturally.
Step 5: Get enough of these
The label also lists nutrients many people don't get enough of: dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium. Here you want the %DV to be higher. Foods high in fiber and these nutrients support digestion, bone health, and blood pressure.