We’ve probably all done it: standing in the grocery store, we hold a product and examine the nutrition label. “Phew,” we say as we put it back on the shelf, “200 calories per serving is a bit much.”
Rose Lee, MD
But what does that number actually mean? Is it good? Bad? Does it even matter? To answer these questions and more, we sat down with Rose Lee, MD, gastroenterologist, to put together a guide on how to make healthier decisions when selecting food.
Serving information
If you start at the top of the label, the first thing you’ll see is the serving information: servings per container and serving size.
These tell the number of servings in the package/container, as well as the amount that people typically eat or drink.
But keep in mind, the serving size is not a recommendation of how much you should eat or drink. That number is different for everyone.
However, the nutrient amounts displayed on the label refer specifically to the serving size. For example, let’s say you drink chocolate milk that has one cup (227g) as the serving size. If the daily value of total fat for one serving is 12% and you have two cups of chocolate milk, you’ve actually consumed 24% of the daily value of total fat.
Calories
Calories are a measurement of how much energy you get from a serving of a particular food.
To achieve or maintain a healthy body weight, you must balance the number of calories you eat and drink with the number of calories your body uses.
Your individual calorie needs are largely dependent on age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity level.
Total sugar vs. sugar alcohol
Total sugar often refers to real sugar. If the product is advertised as “sugar free” or “diet,” it often uses sugar alcohols (such as sorbitol or mannitol).
Even though the sugar content is listed as zero, these sugar alcohols can cause a lot of gas and bloating if consumed in large amounts. This can be a big problem for those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other gastrointestinal disorders.
Unsaturated vs. saturated fat
Unsaturated fat is better for you than saturated fat.
Unsaturated fat can help raise “good” cholesterol levels, which can decrease your risk of heart attack and stroke. Meanwhile, saturated fat can raise “bad” cholesterol levels, leaving you with a higher chance of heart attacks and/or strokes.
However, trans fat is the unhealthiest of them all. If you see “partially hydrogenated oil” or “vegetable shortening” in the ingredients list, beware—it usually means the product contains trans fat.
Daily value (%DV)
The percent daily value (%DV) is the percentage for each nutrient in a serving of the food/drink. They reference amounts (expressed in grams, milligrams, or micrograms) of recommended nutrients to consume each day.
The percentage shows how much a nutrient in a serving of a food contributes to a total daily diet and helps determine if a serving of food is high or low in a given nutrient.
Generally, a percent daily value of 5% or less is low, while a percent daily value of 20% or more is high.