I’m a Registered Dietitian, and These Are the Only Things I Look for on Nutrition Facts Labels

For the last 14 years I’ve been a Registered Dietitian, and have been taught that to be an informed consumer you must learn how to read a nutrition facts label and decipher the label’s meaning. Every nutrition textbook, .gov professional fact sheet, or research paper I ever read has lauded the nutrition facts label as the gold standard for understanding what is in a prepared or packaged good. The label indeed provides meaningful information that can help us make informed choices.

Here’s the kicker: Nutrition fact labels can be super hard to read and confusing to understand for the average shopper. In fact, many of my patients at Maya Feller Nutrition often say they don’t know how to navigate the label claims on the front of packaged goods, much less understand the back where the actual nutrition facts panel lives. So what is a person to do if they can’t make heads or tails of the road map that gives us insight into our packaged food?

I’m going to take you through reading a nutrition label — the same way I work with my patients. You’ll be well on your way to determining what front-of-pack claims are meaningful, like should water be labeled gluten-free, and understanding what even is “the percentage of the daily value” in the context of your whole day of meals.

What’s Actually Included (and Not Included) in a Nutrition Facts Label?

Let’s be clear: The nutrition facts label is providing you with information about the contents of the packaged good. It’s not giving you recommendations on what and how much to eat. These are the five main sections to know about, from top to bottom.

1. Serving size appears in bold font at the top of the label, along with the number of servings in the container. These numbers are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. It’s worth noting that the average American consumes about 3,600 calories per day, so that should be taken into consideration. Also, your individual daily energy needs will vary based on several factors, including age, stage in the lifecycle, physical activity, and current health.

2. Next, calories are listed, also in bold font. This lets you know how many calories are in one serving of the food. You will need to do some math (multiply the calories by number of servings) if you intend to eat the entire package (although some brands have started to list both). Again, the number of calories in a packaged good does not give you information about the vitamins and minerals in the food — only the caloric content.

3. The % Daily Value (or %DV) is listed on the right side of the nutrient section. This percentage refers to the percentage that one serving of this food contributes to your overall 2,000-calorie intake each day. A % of the Daily Value that is close to 5% is considered low, while a % of the Daily Value close to 20% is considered high. So, if something has 30% of the Daily Value for fiber, it’s a high-fiber product, and the same logic applies if the product contains sodium, carbohydrates, protein, etc. (more on those in just a minute). The responsibility lies with you to decide if these values are meaningful in the context of your health and nutrition pattern.

4. Then, the nutrients are listed to the left of the %DV. This is where fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, added sugars, protein, vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, and Potassium are listed. The number of milligrams or grams of each nutrient per serving is listed. In general, Americans under-consume fiber, as well as all of the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) listed on the label.

5. Last but not least, you will find the ingredient list. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) requires all manufacturers list all of the ingredients in a food with one caveat — incidental additives are exempt. You may be wondering, what does that mean? Well, as the FDA notes, incidental additives are “additives that are present in food at insignificant levels and do not have any technical or functional effect in that food.” So, anti-caking substances like silicon dioxide that make up less than 2% of a seasoning blend, or a sulfiting agent that acts as a preservative or antioxidant would not be listed as a part of the ingredient list.

Ingredients are listed in descending order of predominance based on weight. So, the first ingredient makes up the highest majority of what is found in the product. The label has to list FDA-certified color additives; however, some ingredients can be grouped and simply listed as “flavors” or “spices.”

What About the Nutrition Claims on the Front of the Box (or Bag, or Bottle)?

For now, many claims you’ll find on the front of product packages (ahem, natural) don’t hold much weight and are at the discretion of the manufacturer. There is no stopping companies from listing foods that are inherently gluten-free, as such (think: rice or sparkling water). It’s up to you, the consumer, to flip the package over and read the nutrition label.

You’ll also need to be discerning when interpreting claims, like containing “whole grains” or “100% whole grains.” If the front of the package says a loaf of bread contains whole grains and the first ingredient is wheat, not whole wheat, then you know that wheat (and not whole grains) makes up the majority of the product. If the package says 100% whole grains, the ingredient list must reflect this.

The FDA is in the process of standardizing front-of-package labeling so shoppers can parse out what it actually means when a product is labeled as “natural” or “healthy.” After years of debate, a final rule was issued by the FDA in December 2024 in reference to the claim “healthy.” Items with this claim will need to contain a certain amount of food from food groups, such as fruits and vegetables, and adhere to limits on saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.

Once the rule is published, manufacturers will need to follow it. However, it will take some time for all packages to change front-of-package claims.

How Do I Make Nutrition Labels Make Sense for Me?

You have to start with you. Bioindividuality and life circumstances are the drivers when it comes to navigating grocery store shelves. I tell my patients, “Your auntie’s new diet is your auntie’s new diet; what works for her might not be what works for you.”

Ask yourself, what currency is happening in your body? Do you exercise regularly, or are you training for a special event? Are you living with a diagnosis, or do you have a family history of a chronic illness? Has your primary care provider told you that you are on the border of developing a chronic illness? These are the questions to answer before you begin interacting with the nutrition facts label.

If you are athletic, you may want to focus on carbohydrates and protein, while incorporating foods with sources of Iron and Vitamin D to support your athletic performance and recovery. Perhaps a chronic illness like diabetes is of concern. In that case, incorporating higher-fiber foods with minimal amounts of added salt and sugar may be a priority.

Using the percentage of the Daily Value can guide you toward foods that are meaningful or insignificant contributors of a particular nutrient with your unique needs in mind. Paying attention to the vitamins and minerals can let you know how nutrient-dense a product is.

Before Your Next Grocery Shop, a Few Tips

• Think, “What can I add to my pattern of eating?” Rather than “what should I remove?” Most of us can benefit from including more fiber from leafy greens, ancient whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds in our pattern of eating. Many of these whole foods don’t have a nutrition label; however, I can tell you they are rich sources of vitamins and minerals.

• Don’t forget about what I refer to as chef’s helpers. Ingredients such as whole canned tomatoes, frozen Brussels sprouts, jarred asparagus, or canned beans can significantly reduce your time in the kitchen and have nutrition labels that showcase their nutrient density.

• Scrutinize the front-of-package claims as well as the nutrition label. And trust what you have learned. Make choices that support your whole body.

Fad or Fact is a monthly column where Maya Feller, MS, RD, breaks down the most important — and, let’s be honest, sometimes confusing — products and trends taking over grocery aisles. Do you have a grocery question or topic you want Maya to cover? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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