A Nutrition Facts label becomes much easier to use when you read it in order. Start with serving size. Every number below it applies to that amount of food. Then look at calories to understand the energy in that serving.

Start With Serving Size

Next, scan the nutrients that matter to your needs: saturated fat, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, total and added sugars, and protein. The % Daily Value can help put many of those numbers in context.

The FDA offers a useful shortcut: 5% Daily Value or less is considered low, while 20% or more is considered high for an individual nutrient. Daily Values are reference amounts, not personalized prescriptions.

Finally, read the ingredient list. Nutrition Facts tell you how much; ingredients help tell you what the food is made from. Using both panels together is one of the simplest ways to become a more informed shopper.

The Mother F Takeaway

The best label reader is not the person who fears the most ingredients. It is the person who understands serving size, nutrients, ingredients and context.