5 Things To Look At When Reading a Nutritional Label

When you play a game you usually read the instructions first to know the rules, play and win. Well, reading nutritional labels is pretty much the same; you have to understand what they say in order to play the healthy game and win.Here are 5 things you should look at when reading a nutritional label.

1. Serving Size: This section will tell the size of a single serving and how many servings are in a package. Usually, these are given in home measures – 1 cup, ½ cup, 1 tablespoon and so forth. Typically, the nutritional information shown is for a single serving only. Therefore, if the package says there are three servings per container, then you have to multiply all the values by three. *Note: Always check the serving size to see how many servings per package.

2. Calories: How many calories are you eating per serving, and how many per package.

3. Grams of Nutrients Per Serving: Here you can see how much of each macronutrient and micronutrient you are consuming in a single serving. This is especially important to prevent overeating fats, sugars and sodium, which can result in the development of heart disease, overweight and hypertension respectively.

4. Percentage of the Recommended Daily Intake: Based on a 2,000-calorie diet, this section indicates how many calories of the 2,000 calories is being consumed via the product. Be mindful that total caloric intake should be customized to fit your training and every day life. Generally, if a food has 5% or less of the daily value then the food is low in that nutrient. If the value ranges from 5 to 20% then it’s considered a moderate source of this nutrient. And if it has 20% or more then it is a high source. *N0te: Remember, that the quality is more important than the quantity, and 20% or more of saturated fat is not the same as 20% or more of fiber.

5. Vitamins and Minerals: All labels should include the values for vitamins A, C, calcium and sodium. Some also may include potassium, vitamin D and iron.