Reading Food Labels

What you will be able to do

• find the key information on any US packaged food label.
• use serving size, servings per container and calories correctly.
• use the percent Daily Value and the 5/20 rule to compare similar products.
• find added sugars and sodium on the label and in the ingredients list, including their other names.
• check what claims such as 'low fat', 'reduced sugar' and 'low sodium' legally mean.
• find the 9 major allergens and understand US date labels.
• use a 30-second label routine to make healthier swaps in your weekly shopping.

1. 1Getting to know the label

   What US food labels must show, where to find it, and how serving size and percent Daily Value work.

   • What is on a US food label
   • Serving size and servings per container
   • Percent Daily Value and the 5/20 rule

   Label comparison worksheetDaily Values and claims card

2. 2Using %DV and the 5/20 rule

   How the percent Daily Value works as a quick low-or-high guide, how to use it in seconds, and what it cannot tell you.

   • How %DV and the 5/20 rule work
   • Reading a label in five seconds
   • What %DV does not tell you

   Nutrition Facts quick-read cardDaily Values and claims card

3. 3The Nutrition Facts label

   How to read each line of the Nutrition Facts label, compare products fairly and look closely at added sugars, fiber and sodium.

   • Reading the Nutrition Facts label line by line
   • Comparing two products fairly
   • A closer look at added sugars, fiber and sodium

   Label comparison worksheetDaily Values and claims card

4. 4Decoding the ingredients list

   How ingredients are ordered, how to spot added sugars and sodium under other names, and how allergens and additives are shown.

   • Order by weight and what the list tells you
   • Added sugars and sodium under other names
   • Allergens, 'may contain' and additives

   Ingredients list decoder

5. 5Claims, marketing words and date labels

   What nutrient content claims legally mean, which marketing words have no set meaning, and how to use US date labels safely.

   • Nutrient content claims decoded
   • Marketing words and front-of-package tricks
   • Best if Used By, Use By and storage

   Daily Values and claims cardIngredients list decoder

6. 6Labels in real life

   A quick shopping routine, label tips for family foods and drinks, and how to find information on menus, online and on unpackaged foods.

   • Your 30-second shopping routine
   • Family foods: cereals, yogurts, snacks and drinks
   • Labels beyond the grocery store shelf

   Nutrition Facts quick-read cardLabel comparison worksheet

• CardsNutrition Facts quick-read cardPocket cards that show how to read a US Nutrition Facts label in seconds and what it leaves out.
• TemplateLabel comparison worksheetCompare two similar products side by side and record which one you will buy and why.
• ListIngredients list decoderA checklist of names to look for in ingredients lists, so you can spot added sugars, sodium, allergens, additives and marketing words quickly.
• CardsDaily Values and claims cardQuick-reference cards with the US Daily Values, the 5/20 rule, Dietary Guidelines limits and nutrient content claim rules.