What’s On The Nutrition Facts Label

The Nutrition Facts Label found on packaged foods and beverages is your daily tool for making informed food choices that
contribute to healthy lifelong eating habits. Explore it today and discover the wealth of information it contains!

Serving Size
Serving Size is based on the amount of food that is customarily Serving Size 1 package (272g)
eaten at one time. All of the nutrition information listed on the Servings Per Container 1
Nutrition Facts Label is based on one serving of the food.
Amount Per Serving
The serving size is shown as a common household measure that
Calories 300 Calories from Fat 45
is appropriate to the food (such as cup, tablespoon, piece, slice,
or jar), followed by the metric amount in grams (g). % Daily Value*

When comparing calories and nutrients in different foods, check the Total Fat 5g 8%
serving size in order to make an accurate comparison. Saturated Fat 1.5g 8%
Trans Fat 0g

Servings Per Container Cholesterol 30mg

Sodium 430mg
10%
18%
Servings Per Container shows the total number of servings in the Total Carbohydrate 55g 18%
entire food package or container. It is common for one package of
Dietary Fiber 6g 24%
food to contain more than one serving.
Sugars 23g
The information listed on the Nutrition Facts Label is based on Protein 14g
one serving. So, if a package contains two servings and you eat
the entire package, you have consumed twice the amount of calories Vitamin A 80%
and nutrients listed on the label. Vitamin C 35%
Calcium 6%

Calories Iron 15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Calories refers to the total number of calories, or “energy,” supplied Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on
from all sources (fat, carbohydrate, protein, and alcohol) in one serving your calorie needs:

of the food. Calories: 2,000 2,500

Total Fat Less than 65g 80g
To achieve or maintain a healthy body weight, balance the number of Saturated Fat Less than 20g 25g
Cholesterol Less than 300mg 300mg
calories you eat and drink with the number of calories you burn during Sodium Less than 2,400mg 2,400mg
physical activity and through your body’s metabolic processes. Total Carbohydrate 300g 375g
Dietary Fiber 25g 30g

As a general rule:
100 calories per serving is moderate
400 calories per serving is high

Tip: “Fat-free” doesn’t mean “calorie-free.” Some lower fat food items may have as many calories as the
full-fat version. Always check the Nutrition Facts Label and compare the calories and nutrients in the fat-free
version to the regular version.

Calories from Fat

Calories from Fat are not additional calories, but are fat’s contribution to the total number of calories in one serving of the
food. The Nutrition Facts Label lists the calories from fat because fat has more than twice the number of calories per gram than
carbohydrate or protein.
For example, if the Nutrition Facts Label says one serving of food contains 150 calories and 100 calories from fat, the remaining
50 calories comes from carbohydrate, protein, and/or alcohol.

http://www.fda.gov/nutritioneducation What’s On The Nutrition Facts Label 1

Percent Daily Value (%DV)
Percent Daily Value (%DV) shows how much of a nutrient is in
Serving Size 1 package (272g)
one serving of the food. The %DVs are based on the Daily Values
Servings Per Container 1
for key nutrients, which are the amounts (in grams, milligrams, or
micrograms) of nutrients recommended per day for Americans Amount Per Serving
4 years of age and older. The %DV column doesn’t add up vertically Calories 300 Calories from Fat 45
to 100%. Instead, the %DV is the percentage of the Daily Value for
each nutrient in one serving of the food. % Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 8%
For example, the Daily Value for saturated fat is 20 grams (g), which
Saturated Fat 1.5g 8%
equals 100% DV. If the Nutrition Facts Label says one serving of a
food contains 1.5 g of saturated fat, then the %DV for saturated fat Trans Fat 0g
for this specific food is 8%. That means the food contains 8% of the Cholesterol 30mg 10%
maximum amount of saturated fat that an average person should eat Sodium 430mg 18%
in an entire day. Total Carbohydrate 55g 18%
Dietary Fiber 6g 24%
Using the %DV Sugars 23g
Compare Foods: Use the %DV to compare food products Protein 14g
(remember to make sure the serving size is the same) and to
Vitamin A 80%
choose products that are higher in nutrients you want to get more of
Vitamin C 35%
and lower in nutrients you want to get less of.
Calcium 6%
As a general rule: Iron 15%
5% DV or less of a nutrient per serving is low
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
20% DV or more of a nutrient per serving is high Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on
your calorie needs:
Understand Nutrient Content Claims: Use the %DV to help Calories: 2,000 2,500

distinguish one claim from another, such as “light,” “low,” and Total Fat Less than 65g 80g
Saturated Fat Less than 20g 25g
“reduced.” Simply compare the %DVs in each food product to see Cholesterol Less than 300mg 300mg
which one is higher or lower in a particular nutrient; there is no need Sodium Less than 2,400mg 2,400mg
Total Carbohydrate 300g 375g
to memorize definitions. Dietary Fiber 25g 30g

Manage “Dietary Trade-Offs”: Use the %DV to make dietary

trade-offs with other foods throughout the day. You don’t have to
give up a favorite food to eat a healthy diet. When a food you like is
high in a nutrient you want to get less of – or low in a nutrient you
want to get more of – balance it with foods that are low (or high) in
that nutrient at other times of the day.

Footnote
The Asterisk
The asterisk (*) following the heading “% Daily Value” on the Nutrition Facts Label refers to the standard footnote at the
bottom of all labels, which specifies that some of the %DVs are based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet. A 2,000 calorie daily
diet is often used as the basis for general nutrition advice; however, your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending
on your calorie needs. Calorie needs vary according to age, gender, height, weight, and physical activity level. Check your
calorie needs at http://www.choosemyplate.gov.

Daily Value Recommendations

If there is enough space available on the food package, the footnote on the Nutrition Facts Label will also list the
Daily Values for some key nutrients. These are given for both a 2,000 and 2,500 calorie daily diet. This section
also includes goals regarding how much or how little of a nutrient to aim for in your daily diet. The Daily Values for some
nutrients are different for a 2,000 or 2,500 calorie diet, while others (cholesterol and sodium) remain the same for both
calorie amounts.

What’s On The Nutrition Facts Label 2

Nutrients
The Nutrition Facts Label can help you learn about the nutrient content Serving Size 1 package (272g)
of many foods in your diet. It also enables you to compare foods to make Servings Per Container 1
healthy choices.
Amount Per Serving
The Nutrition Facts Label must list: total fat, saturated fat, trans fat,
Calories 300 Calories from Fat 45
cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugars, protein,
vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. % Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 8%
The Nutrition Facts Label may also list: monounsaturated fat,
polyunsaturated fat, soluble fiber, insoluble fiber, sugar alcohol, Saturated Fat 1.5g 8%
other carbohydrate, vitamins (such as biotin, folate, niacin, riboflavin, Trans Fat 0g
pantothenic acid, thiamin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin D, vitamin Cholesterol 30mg 10%
E, and vitamin K) and minerals (such as chromium, copper, iodine, Sodium 430mg 18%
magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium, Total Carbohydrate 55g 18%
selenium, and zinc). Dietary Fiber 6g 24%
Sugars 23g
Nutrients to get less of – get less than 100% DV of these each Protein 14g
day: saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium. (Note: trans
fat has no %DV, so use the amount of grams as a guide) Vitamin A 80%
Vitamin C 35%
Calcium 6%
Nutrients to get more of – get 100% DV of these on most days: Iron 15%
dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on
your calorie needs:
Calories: 2,000 2,500
Total Fat Less than 65g 80g
Saturated Fat Less than 20g 25g
Cholesterol Less than 300mg 300mg
Sodium Less than 2,400mg 2,400mg
Total Carbohydrate 300g 375g
Dietary Fiber 25g 30g

Ingredient List INGREDIENTS: WHOLE WHEAT PASTA (WATER, WHOLE

WHEAT FLOUR), COOKED WHITE MEAT CHICKEN (WHITE
The Ingredient List shows each ingredient in a food by its common or MEAT CHICKEN, WATER, MODIFIED TAPIOCA STARCH,
usual name in descending order by weight. So, the ingredient with CHICKEN FLAVOR [DRIED CHICKEN BROTH, CHICKEN
the greatest contribution to the product weight is listed first, and the POWDER, NATURAL FLAVOR], CARRAGEENAN, WHEY
ingredient contributing the least by weight is listed last. The ingredient PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SOYBEAN OIL, CORN
list is usually located near the name of the food’s manufacturer and often SYRUPSOLIDS, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT), WATER,
below the Nutrition Facts Label. CARROTS, GREEN BEANS, APPLE JUICE CONCEN-
TRATE, DRIED CRANBERRIES (CRANBERRIES, SUGAR,
Use this list to find out whether a food or beverage contains ingredients
SUNFLOWER OIL), APPLES (APPLES, CITRIC ACID, SALT,
that are sources of nutrients you want to get less of, such as saturated
WATER), CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: BUTTER (CREAM,
fat (like shortening), trans fat (like partially hydrogenated oils), and added
SALT), MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, CHICKEN BROTH,
sugars (like syrups) – and sources of nutrients you want to get more of,
ORANGE JUICE CONCENTRATE, APPLE CIDER VINEGAR,
such as whole grains (like whole oats).
SUGAR, SOYBEAN OIL, SEA SALT, GINGER PUREE
(GINGER, WATER, CITRIC ACID), YEAST EXTRACT, SPICES,
LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE, CITRIC ACID.

What’s On The Nutrition Facts Label 3