Start with the serving size
Everything on the label — calories, fat, sodium, vitamins — is based on one serving, not the whole package. This is the single most important number to notice.
A 500 ml bottle of juice might list 120 calories per serving, but if the serving size is 250 ml, the bottle contains two servings and 240 calories total. Manufacturers are allowed to set their own serving sizes, so always multiply by the number of servings you actually consume.
The serving size is listed in both a common household measure (e.g. "1 cup") and a metric weight in grams. The gram figure is the more precise one.
Calories and the big three macros
Calories represent the total energy per serving. Below them you will find the three macronutrients:
| Macronutrient | Calories per gram | Primary role |
|---|---|---|
| Fat | 9 kcal | Energy storage, hormones, cell membranes |
| Carbohydrate | 4 kcal | Primary fuel source, especially for the brain |
| Protein | 4 kcal | Muscle repair, enzymes, immune function |
Fat is split into saturated, unsaturated, and trans fat. Saturated fat should generally be kept moderate; trans fat (partially hydrogenated oil) should be avoided entirely. Unsaturated fats — like those in olive oil and nuts — are beneficial.
Carbohydrates are broken down into dietary fibre and sugars. Fibre slows digestion and supports gut health; aim for more. Sugars include both naturally occurring and added sugars — the label is required to list added sugars separately.
Protein is listed as a single number with no sub-categories on most labels.
Understanding % Daily Value
The % Daily Value (% DV) column tells you how much of each nutrient one serving contributes toward a standard 2,000-calorie-per-day diet. It is a quick reference, not a personalised target.
A simple rule of thumb: 5% DV or less is low; 20% DV or more is high. Use this to identify foods that are high in saturated fat or sodium (nutrients most people want to limit), or high in fibre, calcium, and iron (nutrients most people want more of).
For example, a food with 25% DV for sodium per serving is a significant source — eat three servings and you have used 75% of the recommended daily sodium from one food.
Added sugars vs. total sugars
Total sugars includes sugars that occur naturally in the food (e.g. lactose in milk, fructose in fruit) as well as sugars added during processing. Added sugars are the ones with no nutritional benefit beyond calories — white sugar, corn syrup, honey, agave, and their equivalents.
Health guidelines typically recommend keeping added sugars below 10% of total daily calories (50 g on a 2,000-calorie diet). Added sugars are listed separately on the label precisely because they are the category most associated with excess calorie intake and metabolic risk.
Watch for disguised names in the ingredients list: anything ending in -ose (sucrose, dextrose, maltose), syrups of any kind, cane juice, and fruit juice concentrate are all added sugars.
Micronutrients and the ingredients list
The bottom section of the label lists key micronutrients — typically Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, and Potassium — which are nutrients commonly under-consumed. These are shown as % DV only.
Below the nutrition facts panel, the ingredients list tells you exactly what is in the food, listed by weight in descending order. If sugar (in any form) appears in the first three ingredients, the food is high in sugar. If you cannot pronounce most of the ingredients, that is not a health concern in itself — many safe preservatives and emulsifiers have complex names — but a very long list often indicates a highly processed product.