Read Between the Lines: Making Sense of the Nutrition Facts Label

Do you ever get overwhelmed by all the different brands at the grocery store? We’ve all been there! I always struggle with the bread aisle, in particular. Whole wheat, honey wheat, 7-grain, 15-grain, hearty white, sprouted grain, sourdough – the list is endless! But how do you choose?

It’s time to get familiar with the nutrition facts label.

Easier said than done, right? Read on to learn a few tips and tricks to make sense of the nutrition label, key nutrients of interest, and label terms to help inform your grocery purchasing choices.

Breaking down the nutrition facts label

In 2016, the FDA updated the nutrition label requirements to reflect new nutrition research and input from the public. The refreshed design has made the label easier to understand, helping consumers make informed food choices. For instance, serving sizes were bolded and updated to more accurately reflect the actual consumption patterns of Americans, not just what they should be consuming. Let’s be honest, that pint of ice cream wasn’t stretching to the suggested four servings anyway. Other updates included a larger font to draw your attention to calories, requiring vitamin D and potassium to be listed (as these nutrients are often under-consumed in American diets), and the addition of an “Added Sugars” section to help consumers locate and limit added sugars in packaged foods.

There are many components of the nutrition label, so you may be wondering where to start when you want to analyze a product. Taking a look first at the serving size helps to set the stage for the rest of the nutrition data on the label. If you skip over the serving size, you may mistakenly think the calories and nutrition content listed are for the full package, rather than just one serving. Some nutrition facts labels do have a dual-column panel that shows single-serving nutrition facts as well as full package nutrition information for increased awareness.

Another helpful component listed on the right side of the nutrition facts label is the percent Daily Value (%DV). This provides insight into how much or how little of a nutrient is in a serving in relation to the recommended daily amount based on a standard 2,000-calorie diet. The %DV also helps consumers understand how a particular food fits into overall daily nutrient goals, but it may feel a little abstract when you’re thinking about a full day’s worth of eating. As a simple guideline, if the %DV of a particular nutrient is 5% or less, this indicates that a serving of the food is low in this nutrient. Comparatively, if the %DV is 20 percent or more, then the serving is high in the specified nutrient. While this can be a good starting point for understanding how you’re nourishing your body on a daily basis, it’s not perfect; your individual calorie and nutrient needs vary based on activity level, age, gender, and other factors.

On to the ingredients list! This section of the nutrition label can sometimes look like a chemical equation, with scientific names of ingredients, hard-to-pronounce words, and an overwhelming number of ingredients in many packaged goods. However, this list is important for anyone with a food allergy or intolerance and helpful for anyone who wants to know what they’re putting into their bodies. The ingredients are listed in descending order of quantity, so consumers can understand what makes up the primary components of the food product. 

Key nutrients at a glance

The %DV we talked about earlier becomes really helpful when determining if a food product is nutritionally balanced or if it should go back on the grocery shelf. Remember, 5% or less is low, and 20% or more is high. Rather than examining the nutrition label line by line, the following key nutrients can help you make a quick assessment while grocery shopping.

Nutrients to increase

As Americans typically don’t consume enough fruits and veggies, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains to meet the recommended 25-35 grams of fiber per day, dietary fiber is a key nutrient to prioritize when you’re perusing the grocery aisles.¹ Dietary fiber, which can support weight management efforts, includes both soluble and insoluble fibers that promote healthy bowel habits and improve satiety. Soluble fiber draws in moisture as it passes through the digestive tract, helping to slow down digestion and absorption. Think of when you’re cooking oatmeal – the gel-like substance that starts to form as hot water soaks the oats is the soluble fiber in action! The insoluble fiber is what remains intact, firmer portions of the oats. This helps to add bulk to stools and keep things moving smoothly.

Potassium, vitamin D, iron, and calcium are also important nutrients to keep an eye out for to be sure you are getting adequate amounts. Calcium and vitamin D contribute to healthy bone strength and structure, while iron supports healthy red blood cells and cellular energy production. Potassium also can support bone health and promote cardiovascular health. Make those micronutrients count!

Nutrients to limit

While there are several nutrients you might want to increase, there are also a few to limit. Saturated and trans fats contribute to increased blood lipids like harmful LDL cholesterol, which can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease. Many animal-based products contain higher amounts of saturated fats compared to their plant-based counterparts. Opt for mono- or polyunsaturated fats from nuts and seeds, avocados, olive oil, and fatty fish to support healthy blood vessels and lipid balance.

Sodium is another nutrient to limit. You’ll find it in table salt and seasoning blends, used to enhance flavors, or added as a preservative, especially in packaged foods. Excess sodium consumption contributes to high blood pressure so keep an eye out for foods that have “low sodium,” “reduced sodium,” or “no salt added” options as an easy way to decrease your daily sodium intake.

Next up are added sugars. It’s recommended to limit added sugars to only 10% of total daily calories, but between sugar-sweetened beverages, desserts, and other sugars added during the processing of foods, these quickly add up to over two to three times that amount in the average American diet.² That’s over 17 teaspoons of sugar per day! Keeping added sugars in check not only supports healthy overall calorie intake and weight management efforts but also can help to prevent nearly one million cases of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes within the next two decades.²

Take a look at the ingredients list to reveal added sugars by their many different names. These added sugars and syrups pile up fast, so recognizing the various types and forms of sugars can be a helpful strategy to limit foods that are big sources of added sugars.

Nutrition label terminology

Now that you know how to make sense of the nutrition label, let’s demystify a few common terms you may see on food packaging to make your choices easier and more informed:

• “High in” or “Excellent source of:” Provides 20% or more of the %DV of a particular nutrient per serving
• “Good source of:” Provides 10-19% of the %DV of a particular nutrient per serving
• “Reduced:” At least 25% less of the particular nutrient or calories than the usual product
• “Low sodium:” 140 milligrams or less of sodium per serving
• “Low calorie:” 40 calories or less per serving
• “Fat-free” or “Sugar-free:” Less than 0.5 gram of fat or sugar per serving
• “Calorie-free:” Less than 5 calories per serving

The takeaway

If you analyze your diet for some key nutrients and realize you are not getting adequate amounts, you can always consider adding a nutritional supplement to your daily regimen. And you will notice many of the rules for food labeling are similar to the supplement facts labels you will find on your vitamins and other supplements like vitamin D, iron, calcium, fiber products, and fish oil. 

Nutrition is a complex and nuanced health topic, so if you’re looking for a qualified health-care professional to discuss nutrition and supplements with you, check out Thorne’s “Find a Professional” tool to connect with registered dietitians, naturopathic doctors, functional medicine practitioners, and more. 

References

1. Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. Fiber. Eatright.org. Published November 3, 2020. https://www.eatright.org/health/essential-nutrients/carbohydrates/fiber [Accessed December 12, 2024.]
2. American Heart Association. How much sugar is too much? Heart.org. Updated September 23, 2024. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/how-much-sugar-is-too-much [Accessed December 12, 2024.]