The grocery store is full of thousands of food items, giving you at least that many choices. You need to be armed with information and education in order to make smarter choices, and that means knowing and understanding the food label. The information included on this label gives you the freedom to compare products and choose ones that best fits your nutritional needs. It is well worth your time and effort to learn how to interpret food labels and how to put them to work for you and your baby. The major parts of the food label include the nutrition facts panel, the ingredient list, health claims, and nutritional claims.

The Nutrition Facts Panel

At the very top of the nutrition facts panel is the serving size, the number of servings included in the container, the calories per serving, and the number and percentage of calories that come from fat. Below that is a list of the three macronutrients (fat, carbohydrates, and protein) as well as other important nutrients. These nutrients are listed in grams or milligrams. Below those are listed a few micronutrients, two vitamins and two minerals, which are displayed in percentages. On the right side of the panel is a column headed “% Daily Value.” Near the bottom of the panel is the statement that the percent daily values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet, as well as a list of daily reference values.

Serving Size

The serving size is extremely important because everything on the panel pertains to the specified serving size. The serving size refers to the average amount or portion a person should eat at one time. On the sample panel, the serving size is ½ cup, and there are four servings per container. So, all of the information on the panel pertains to ½ cup serving. If you ate the whole container, you would need to multiply the information on the panel by four.

Counting Calories

The panel provides information on how many calories there are in a single serving of the particular food. The panel also provides you with the number of calories that come from fat in one serving. In the example panel, there are 90 calories in a serving and 30 calories come from fat. This means that out of the total 90 calories per serving, 30, or one-third, of them are coming from fat. We know that calories in food only come from three sources: fat, protein, and carbohydrate. So this also tells you that the other 60 calories come from protein and/or carbohydrate sources. When reading a panel, it is important to consider all of the other foods you eat during the day. One food may contribute more calories or nutrients than others, but it won't provide your total nutritional intake for the day.

Nutrients on the Panel

The specific nutrients that are listed on the nutrition facts panel were selected by the USDA and the FDA because of their relationship to current health issues. Nutrients that are required on all food labels include total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugar, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. Manufacturers can list additional nutrients, but only these are required.

The first four nutrients that are listed represent those that Americans generally consume in excess (fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium). The two vitamins and two minerals displayed on the panel are listed as reference to the reference daily intakes (RDIs). The RDIs are values established by the FDA that are used only on food labels.

The RDI for the two vitamins and two minerals required on every food label are the following:

• Vitamin A — 5,000 international units (IU)

• Vitamin C — 60 mg

• Calcium — 1,000 mg

• Iron — 18 mg

For example, if a label states that a product contains 50 percent of the RDI of vitamin A, it contains 2,500 IUs. Keep in mind that RDIs are relevant for the “average” person. Women who are pregnant may have higher needs, and you should pay attention to your specific nutrient needs. Use the food label not only to help limit those nutrients you should cut back on but also to increase those nutrients and other things you should consume more of, such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Percent Daily Value

The percent daily value is the most misunderstood part of the panel. The nutrients on food labels are expressed in two distinct ways. First, as explained above, they are expressed in terms of the amount by weight (in grams or milligrams) per serving. The other way these nutrients are expressed is in terms of percent daily value. This measure gives an estimate of how a serving of a particular food meets the daily requirement for each nutrient, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Daily reference values, or the amounts of nutrients you should get for a healthy diet, based on a 2,000-calorie diet, are shown on the bottom of each panel underneath the vitamin/ mineral information. For example, if a panel states that the product contains 5 percent of the daily value for fat, one serving of that food product will give 5 percent of the 65 grams (or 3 grams) you are allowed for the day on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Using Percent Daily Value

This information is meant to help you decide whether a specific nutrient in a serving of food contributes a lot or a little to your total daily intake. Your goal each day should be to meet 100 percent or less of the daily value for nutrients you should be consuming less of, such as fat, saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and cholesterol. Likewise, your goal should be to get 100 percent or more for nutrients and other things you should be consuming more of, such as fiber, com plex carbohydrates, calcium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Keep in mind that during pregnancy, your caloric goal will most likely be more than 2,000 calories per day. If you should be consuming more than 2,000 calories, the percent daily value can be adjusted for your specific calorie level.

To determine the proper adjustment of the percent daily value for you, first calculate your estimated basic calorie needs (as described in Chapter 3, on page 33). Match that number against the numbers in the left-hand column of the following table. Then check the right-hand column to see how to adjust the percent daily values. For instance, a woman who needs 2,500 calories to maintain her weight would adjust the percent daily values by 125 percent, meaning that she should consume 25 percent more of those nutrients than the amounts listed on the panels.

Calories	Adjusted % Daily Value
2,000	100 percent
2,200	110 percent
2,500	125 percent
2,800	140 percent
3,200	160 percent

The percent daily value can help you quickly decide whether a food is high or low in a particular nutrient. A food is considered low in a nutrient if one serving contains 5 percent or less of that nutrient's daily value. Descriptive words that are used on panels to describe low nutrient levels include “few,” “contains a small amount of,” “low source of,” “low in,” “little,” and “a little.” A food is a good source of a particular nutrient if one serving contains 10 to 19 percent of the daily value for a nutrient. Other terms that can be used to fit this definition include “contains” and “provides.” A food is considered high in a nutrient if one serving contains 20 percent or more of the daily value for a particular nutrient. Panels describe high nutrient levels with terms such as “excellent source of” and “rich in.”

Calculating Percent Daily Value

The reference daily values shown on each panel are calculated using the following nutritional recommendations.

Nutrient	Recommended Levels*
Total fat	30 percent of total calories
Saturated fat	10 percent of total calories
Total carbohydrate	60 percent of total calories
Fiber**	11.5 grams per 1,000 calories
Cholesterol***	Less than 300 mg per day
Sodium***	Less than 2,400 mg per day
Potassium (optional)	3,500 mg per day

*Some numbers are rounded off for nutrition labeling.

**20 grams is the minimum amount of fiber recommended for all calorie levels below 2,000.

***Recommended cholesterol and sodium levels are always constant no matter how many calories are consumed.

The percent daily value is helpful when it comes to menu planning because it helps you see your intake of various nutrients in relation to the reference daily value instead of as a simple quantitative value. For example, a food that contains 150 mg of sodium could seem high in sodium just because the number 150 seems large. In actuality, however, 150 mg is only about 6 percent of the daily value for sodium of 2,400 mg per day. On the other hand, a food with 5 grams of saturated fat could be construed as being low in that nutrient because five is a small number. But in reality, that food provides 25 percent of the total daily value for saturated fat (20 grams).