How to Read a Nutrition Label
by Paul Webb
The nutrition label located on each and every food item, will tell you all the information about that food. For some however, this information isn't exactly that reader friendly. Fear not, as it's actually easier than you think.
Serving Size This size is based on the amount people eat. Similar food items will have similar serving sizes, thus making it easier to compare 2 foods of the same category.
% Daily Value This indicates how food will fit in a 2,000 calorie diet. This will help you to understand if the food has a lot, or just a little of the important nutrients.
The middle section The nutrients you'll find listed in the middle section are the ones that are most important to your health. This information can help you to calculate your daily limit of fat, fiber, sodium, and other nutrients.
Vitamins & minerals The percent daily value found here is the exact same as the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamins and minerals.
Now that you know what the nutrition label actually means, it'll be a lot easy to eat healthy. Eating healthy is a great thing - especially when you use the nutrition label to assist you with your food choices.
One way to know if you are getting the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for all the nutrients you need is to follow the Food Guide Pyramid. It provides from 1600 to over 2800 calories per day depending on which foods and the number of servings you eat. The assumption is made if you will choose a variety of foods from each of the 5 food groups (Grain, Vegetable, Fruit, Milk, Meat) then you will probably get 100% of your RDA.
Paul Webb
About the Author
Paul Webb-Paul is the owner of several websites concerning health and fitness. He is a firm believer in exercise and health. He has more articles,and information on health and fitness on his websites. You can visit his websites at http://seniorshealthinfo.com or http://trymyrecipes.net
