How to Read Nutrition Labels

Read a nutrition label on the can or jar

Every jar or can, even a box of something you are purchasing at the store is going to have a label on it. On this label you will find information about what is in the food you are eating, and information about how much vitamins and minerals are contained in the foods you are eating. Another important reason to read the label on the foods you are eating is because you might be surprised in just how many servings are in the foods you are eating. For example, you are eating a can of soup, thinking it has vegetables and all types of good stuff for you, but the can actually have two and a half servings in it and you were planning on eating the entire can!

The label on every box or can you purchase for eating is going to tell you all about how many servings are in the containers you purchase. If you are on a calorie diet, or if you want to start eating less for better nutrition, you have to learn about how many servings you should be eating. Think about this: often times you will get a bowl of chips and munch while you watch a movie but this bowl of chips could be four or ten times how much you are supposed to be eating for one serving.

A nutrition label is going to give you the calories, vitamins, fats, and minerals for each serving. If you are limiting your fat intake, but you are not watching your serving sizes, you could be increasing your fats instead of cutting fats. For example, while turkey dogs have less cholesterol and fats, you decide you are going to eat two. But for some of these turkey dogs a serving size many be one half a hot dog, so you are not going to be cutting your fats and cholesterol as much you thought before.

Read labels, and learn to tell the difference about what you are eating compared to how much is recommended for a serving size. If you are eating more than one serving size you need to adjust your calorie intake accordingly for a healthy and nutritious overall diet.