How to Use the Nutrition Fact Label, Eat Right, NHLBI, NIH

How to Use the Nutrition Fact Label, Eat Right, NHLBI, NIH

Use the Nutrition Facts Label

You can help your family eat better and balance their energy by learning to choose lower calorie, lower fat alternatives to some of their favorite foods. Use the Nutrition Facts label found on food packages to make smarter food choices.

This example below is a Nutrition Facts label is from a macaroni and cheese dinner. You can also visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website to see more examples of the Nutrition Facts label and what it can tell you.

When using the Nutrition Facts label as a guide, try these tips:

• Keep these low: saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, and sodium
• Get enough of these: potassium, fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron
• Use the Percent Daily Value (% DV) column when possible; 5% DV or less is low, 20% DV or more is high

Visit the Smart Food Shopping page and learn how the label can help you choose foods lower in calories, fat, and added sugar to help maintain a healthy weight.