When most people eat, they may not consider the food they put into their bodies is not only fuel for energy, its nutritional value helps ward off chronic systemic diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes, prevents deficiencies and curbs issues like obesity and weight gain and metabolic syndrome. There are seven major classes of nutrients we must consume or face serious illness and even death. They are vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, water and fiber. Let’s break down the nutritional information available.
The nutritional value of a product is placed on food labels so that you can evaluate the nutrient content in a single serving of a food item. Nutritional information is provided in a format regulated by law and uses established daily values for comparison. This breakdown allows you to compare foods consistently from product to product and gives you a break down of the nutrients it contains and the energy provided by the food.
Fats
Fats are composed of fatty acids bonded to a glycerol. Fat is classified as either saturated or unsaturated. Generally, saturated fat is solid at room temperature while unsaturated fat is a liquid. Unsaturated fats may be further classified as mono-unsaturated or poly-unsaturated. Trans fats are saturated fats which are typically created from unsaturated fat by adding the extra hydrogen atoms in a process called hydrogenation.
Fiber
Dietary fiber consists mainly of cellulose that is indigestible because we do not have enzymes to digest it. Fruits and vegetables are high in dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is important because it provides bulk to the intestinal contents and stimulates peristalsis – the rhythmic muscular contractions passing along the digestive tract.
Water
About 70% of the non-fat mass of the human body is made of water. Normally, about 20 percent of water intake comes from food, while the rest comes from drinking water and beverages. Water is excreted from the body in many forms; through urine and feces, through sweating, and by exhalation of water vapor in the breath.
Minerals
Dietary minerals are the chemical elements required by living organisms, and are present in common organic molecules. They include macro-minerals like calcium, magnesium, and sodium, as well as trace minerals such as cobalt, copper, chromium, iodine, iron, manganese, nickel and zinc. Nutritional supplements are available to
Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates take longer to metabolize since their sugar units are processed one-by-one off the ends of the chains. Simple carbohydrates are processed quickly and thus raise blood sugar levels more quickly resulting in rapid increases in blood insulin levels compared to complex carbohydrates.
Protein
Protein is composed of amino acids that are our body’s structural materials like muscles, skin and hair. The body requires amino acids to produce new body protein and to replace damaged proteins that are lost in the urine. Amino acid requirements are classified in terms of essential and non-essential amino acids. Consuming a diet that contains adequate amounts of essential amino acids is particularly important for growing animals.
Vitamins
As of 2005, twelve vitamins and about the same number of minerals are recognized as “essential nutrients”, meaning that they must be consumed and absorbed in nutritional supplement form – or, in the case of vitamin D, alternatively synthesized via UVB radiation – to prevent deficiency symptoms and death.
In the US, nutritional information standards and recommendations are currently controlled by the US Department of Agriculture. Dietary and exercise guidelines from the USDA are presented as the food pyramid, which supersedes the four food groups.

Nowadays, almost all of the products that are purchased like food and drinks have labels containing necessary nutrition information. The necessary nutrition facts include servings per container, serving size, calories per serving, calories from fat, total fat, polyunsaturated fat, potassium, sodium, cholesterol content, dietary fibres, carbohydrates, protein content and sugars.
Additional facts on nutrition include mineral content which are solid homogenous and inorganic substances that are found in nature. Vitamin-content is also an important part of each label.
Additional ingredients may also be included on the list. Most of these nutrition data are based on a 2,000-2,500 calorie diet.
Breaking the Common Notion
Scientific knowledge and nutrition are the bases for nutrition facts. Most consumers are confused over carbohydrates and calorie-content on foods. Some have the notion that carbohydrates cause weight gain when in fact, carbs are meant to fuel the body by powering up each cell. Carbohydrates are made up of oxygen, hydrogen and carbon. Carbohydrates are found in foods such as vegetables, milk, honey, fruits, syrups, sugars, and grains.
Tips on Reading Labels
It would surprise you that reading food labels also involves basic computations such as subtraction, addition, multiplication and division. Knowing how to read labels on foods will enable you to make a knowledgeable decision as to whether or not a certain product would be beneficial for you.
It is always best to read food labels from top to bottom. The top portion often lists the amount which makes up a single serving. The next figure lists the total servings that are included in the package. Moving down the list, you would notice that you will see the exact amount of calories, fat, sodium and other nutrients. To the right of these nutrients, you would find the percentage of daily value that is required for these nutrients.
Not all of these percentages apply to you (or even to a majority of people) so don’t get too concerned over the percentages. What you should be looking for are the vitamins and minerals that the product contains.
When you are concerned about weight loss, you must be concerned about the number of calories that each product would contribute. The sodium content is the next thing that you should be worried about (eating too much sodium would make your body store extra fluid, thus, you will look bloated).
Understanding Daily Values
Daily values are an important part of the nutrition label. They are the best guide that you can have toward healthy eating and they can replace the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowances. Daily values are listed for 2,000-2,500 calorie consumption each day. If you are required to eat less, then your personal daily value may be lower (if you are required to eat more, then your daily values should also be properly adjusted).
The percentage of daily value is a good tool to check a food’s nutrient content. According to the USFDA, the American Heart Association, and the American Diabetes Association, these are the nutrient daily values for 2,000 and 2,500 calorie consumptions:
Total fat
Less than 65 grams for 2,000 calorie diets
Less than 80 grams for 2,500 calorie diets
Saturated fat
Less than 20 grams
Less than 25 grams
Cholesterol
Less than 300 milligrams for both diets
Total carbohydrate
Less than 300 grams
Less than 375 grams
Sodium
Less than 2,400 milligrams for both calorie diets
Fibre
25 grams
30 grams
Understanding the contents of labels would be tantamount to knowing the value of nutrition that you would be consuming so take time to read the next time you purchase any type of food.

The FDA has made it a requirement for the food nutrition facts to be clearly labeled on all packaging. The majority of the people pay little attention to this unless they have a food allergy. Who has time to go grocery shopping and read every label in their shopping cart. Understanding the food labels is essential to a healthy diet and critical to those who are experiencing weight problems.The labels describe the food nutrition facts and other important information about the foods that your children eat. From calories, fiber, and fat grams, to the total of all other food ingredients. Knowing how to read the food labels will help you to provide the healthy nutrients that your family should eat such as: calcium and fiber, and at the same time know about the unhealthy ingredients, like fat, saturated fat, sodium,and cholesterol.Serving Size: The serving size and number of servings per container or package is critical. Many times people overlook this data. Quite often containers or packages contain more than one serving. If you were to eat a small container yourself when it is labeled as 2 servings you are consuming twice the portions. This is a common way that people overeat. A solution would be to purchase single sized portions or portions just big enough to feed your family. A rule of thumb: 40 calories per serving is considered low in calories, 100 calories per serving is considered moderate in calories, 400 calories and up per serving is considered high in calories.Total Fat Grams: Learning about the amount of total fat in the foods that you eat will help to maintain a low fat diet. Understand that unsaturated fats are healthier than saturated fats and trans fats. It is recommended to keep your fat intake at 30% or less of which saturated fats should consist of 1/3 or less. For example: A serving that contains 100 calories should have 30% or less total fat and 10% or less saturated fats. In addition solid fats contain a lot of saturated and/or trans fats. Examples would be: butter, beef fat, pork fat, vegetable oils, hydrogenated vegetable oils, and shortening. Some animal by products also contain a lot of saturated and trans fats. Vegetable oils, however, consist of more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Palm kernel oil and coconut oil being the exception.Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are sugars and starches that our bodies process into glucose, which our cells and muscles need for energy. For children half of their caloric intake should come from carbohydrates. It is important to know that there are good carbs and bad carbs. Rather than eat foods that are high in simple sugars you would be better off choosing more starcy foods such as: whole grain breads, rice, potatoes, pasta, and cereals. Whole wheat pasta, whole wheat breads, brown rice, and whole grain cereals are good choices for whole wheat foods. When reading the ingredients on the food nutrition facts label try to avoid added sugars and if they are listed as the first few ingredients look for better alternatives. Some common added sugars are high-fructose corn syrup, juice concentrate, sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, and maltrose.Dietary Fiber: Eating a high fiber diet is an important part of a healthy diet. High fiber diet helps prevent cancer, heart disease, obesity, and other ailments. For children the amount of daily fiber should be their age plus 5 in grams. Example: 16 year old would need 21 grams of fiber. 16+5=21g. According to the food nutrition facts fruits, vegetables, breads, and whole grain cereal are excellent sources of fiber.Vitamins And Minerals: The food nutrition facts also contain data on certain vitamins and minerals that children need including calcium and iron. Keep in mind that less than 5% of daily value is considered low in vitamins and minerals and over 20% of daily value is considered high in vitamins and minerals. A happy medium would be between 10% and 20% of the daily value per serving. Generally calcium rich foods consist of 20% to 30% of a child’s daily value per serving. If your child doesn’t get enough milk or other dairy products, which are high in calcium, check the food nutrition facts for foods that contain high calcium to compensate. Teenagers, on the other hand, need more than 100% of the daily value of calcium. 130% is about right as listed on the food container.Cholesterol And Sodium: It is important to limit the amount of sodium and cholesterol in your childrens diet. Knowing that less than 5% of the daily value is low and over 20% of the daily value is high should help you choose foods that are in the normal range. When reading the food nutrition facts look for foods with under 140mg of sodium per serving. If the packaging lists the sodium as low or very low in sodium it is a good choice. Foods that are low in cholesterol should be under 20mg per serving.Proteins: Proteins are needed to maintain lean muscle mass and are a critical element to overall health. Generally protein should be between 10% and 12% of your child’s daily calories. Be aware that many children get more protein than they need particularly if they consume eggs, meat, and dairy products. Beans, nuts, and soy also contain proteins.Percent Daily Values: Since less than 5% of the daily value is low and over 20% of the daily value is high for food ingredients; fat, cholesterol, sodium, saturated fats, and trans fats should be low in daily value percentage. A rule of thumb is to eat less than 100% of the daily value for these components. On the other hand, you should eat at least 100% of the daily values for calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, and dietary fiber.Healthy ResultsThose are the main food nutrition facts. Eating healthy and getting exercise is a matter of survival. Too much of one or not enough of the other is asking for trouble. Amazing things happen when you get good nutrition.