Reading nutrition labels on food can be confusing, but learning how to read them is essential for improving your health. Understanding the key components of nutrition labels can help you make more informed dietary choices and better manage conditions such as heart disease or diabetes.

In this guide, we’ll break down the basics you need to know about each part of a nutrition label—from serving sizes to calories. Additionally, we’ll explore how to identify misleading nutrition labels.

Key Parts of Nutrition Labels

All packaged food products in the U.S. use the same nutrition label, which contains important info about the contents of the food. Each label provides information on the recommended serving size, calories, added sugars, fats, carbohydrates, sodium content, and other essential details.

Serving Size

At the top of the nutrition label, you’ll notice a listed serving size. This is one of the first things to consider when analyzing a label. The serving size tells you exactly how much the suggested serving is and how many calories, fat, and other nutrients are in each serving. If you ignore the serving size, it can be tough to know precisely how many calories you’ve consumed.

Calories

Calorie content refers to the amount of energy in each serving. Consult with your health care team to determine a daily calorie goal tailored to your individual health needs. Once you know your daily calorie goal, it can be easy to count calories to ensure you’re staying within a recommended guideline that meets your health needs. The calorie section is the largest, boldest section within the nutrition label. Each person’s caloric needs vary depending on medical conditions, metabolism, and activity levels.

Sugar and Carbohydrates

Individuals with diabetes will need to pay particular attention to the sugar and carbohydrate sections of a nutrition label. Under the carbohydrates section, you will notice a spot for dietary fiber and added sugars.

Look for products that have lower amounts of added sugar and a high nutritional fiber content. For example, candy is almost all sugar and little to no fiber. Meanwhile, healthier snacks, such as natural granola bars, may contain more fiber and less sugar.

Sodium Content

Some health conditions may also require you to limit your sodium intake. On the nutrition label, you’ll find sodium listed in mg. Consult with your doctor to determine which high-sodium foods you may need to avoid based on your specific health needs.

How to Spot Misleading Nutrition Labels

Marketing claims on the front of packages that say “healthy” or “heart-healthy” can often mislead buyers. As such, you’ll want to pay close attention to the actual ingredient list on the products you eat.

Look for keywords that are red flags, such as hydrogenated soybean oil, canola oil, or high fructose corn syrup. Generally, items with shorter ingredient lists contain fewer added ingredients and may be a more intelligent choice than those with lengthy ingredient lists.

Healthy Swaps

Over time, making healthy swaps in your pantry becomes easier. Some easy, healthy swaps to get started with include:

• Remove seed oils from your pantry, such as soybean or canola oil, and replace them with healthier options like avocado oil or olive oil.
• Swap refined grains, such as white flour, with healthier alternatives like whole wheat flour or almond flour.
• Remove items with added sugar and replace them with whole food snacks, such as fresh fruit or vegetables.
• Replace fatty snacks with healthier options, such as swapping potato chips for air-popped popcorn.

Read Nutrition Labels in Your Pantry

Ready to take over your pantry? Bring a few packaged items to your next appointment to review nutrition labels with your care team. Making small changes over time can help you improve your diet, health, and overall well-being. Start by swapping a few pantry items for healthier alternatives. The more you pay attention to labels and ingredient lists, the more you will become aware of which ingredients to avoid.