Don't Let Food Labels Fool You (Part 3)
by Lisa Drayer, MA, RD

When you read a food label, are you confused by all of the numbers and percentages you see on the Nutrition Facts label? If so, this is the perfect opportunity to learn an invaluable lesson on how to relate these numbers into your diet planning.

What the Nutrition Facts Label is Based On

The Nutrition Facts label we see on foods uses a reference system called the Daily Values. These values are translated into percentages to show consumers how a specific food contributes to the diet, based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, the 2,000 calorie level was chosen for the highest risk group of surplus intake--postmenopausal women, who should not exceed this recommended calorie level. Postmenopausal women are at risk for weight gain because women already have more body fat than men, and therefore a lower metabolism; also metabolism slows with age. Thus, this group is at high risk of gaining weight if they do not reduce their intake.

While the 2,000 calorie level does not apply to everyone, you can still learn what the percentages mean for your diet. That is, you can decide, in your own personal nutrition consultation with yourself, whether or not you should scoop a food off the shelf and drop it into your shopping cart.

What's on the Label: Fat, Saturated Fat, Carbohydrates:

At a first glance at the label, we see serving size information, and then calories per serving (also calories from fat). Underneath this, we see fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, and fiber. To the right of these nutrients, you will see a percentage column. This is the Percent Daily Values, and they show you how a specific food contributes to your nutrient intake if you are on a 2,000-calorie diet.

The values themselves (that is, the Daily Values or "DVs") are composed of two standard measures of dietary intake: The Daily Reference Values DRVs and the Reference Daily Intakes (RDIs). The system is meant to help individuals choose foods in the right balance, so by the end of the day, each nutrient category will be at a maximum of 100% of the DRVs and RDIs (on the label, there is only a reference to DVs so consumers are not confused).

The referenced amounts on the Daily Values for each macronutrient (i.e., carbohydrates, fat, saturated fat, and protein) are based on percentages suggested in the Food Guide Pyramid. That is, 60% of total calories from carbohydrates (or 300 grams), 30% of calories from fat (65 grams), 10% of total calories from saturated fat (20 grams), and 10% of total calories from protein (50 grams). The DVs pertaining to cholesterol, sodium, potassium, fiber, vitamin A, C, calcium, and iron do not represent a percentage (i.e. 60% carbs), and so these values on the label do not change.

The following table shows the Daily Value amount of each nutrient based on the percentages for a 2,000 calorie per day diet.

*Unlike the larger nutrients (carbohydrate, fat, saturated fat, and protein), these nutrients are not based on percentages, so they remain constant regardless of the calorie level. For example, a food that contains 500 mg of calcium per serving will always be 50% of the Daily Values even when you adjust the larger nutrient percentages to your calorie level.

Using the Nutrition Facts Panel with Your Own Diet

Now that we understand how to read the Nutrition Facts label based on a 2,000 calorie diet, we can figure out what the panel means if we are following a different calorie level.

On DietWatch, you are given a calorie level based on a formula that takes into account height, weight, sex, age, and physical activity. Here is a step-by-step guide to figure out how much fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, and protein a food would contribute to your diet, based on the DV percentages, using a calorie level of 1600 as an example:

1. Determine your daily calorie needs. (e.g. 1600 calories)

2. Convert the standard percentages of macronutrients. Use 30% for fat, 10% for saturated fat, 60% for carbohydrate, and 10% for protein into decimals and multiply by your calorie level. For example:

1600 x 30% = 320 calories from fat*
1600 x 10% = 160 calories from saturated fat
1600 x 60% = 960 calories from carbohydrate
1600 x 10% = 160 calories from protein (Note: Protein is not given a percent on actual nutrition facts labels)

*total fat includes saturated fat

3. Then divide the calories for each nutrient by the calories per gram of each nutrient (fat 9, saturated fat 9, carbohydrates 4). For example:
480/9 = 53 g
160/9 = 18 g
960/4 = 240 g
160/4 = 40 g

Now that you know the amount of each nutrient to use for your total Daily Values, you can calculate the percentages of each nutrient that a specific food contributes. For example, a food that offers 20 grams of fat would be 38% of your Daily Value for fat, since your total budget is 53 g. (On a 2000-calorie diet, your total fat budget is 65 g, so the same food would give you a lower percentage-that is, it would take up less of your fat budget). Bottom line? If your calories are lower than 2000, the percentages are higher. If they are higher than 2000, the percentages are lower.

Below is an example of how one slice of Pizza Hut Hand Tossed Cheese pizza contributes to fat, saturated fat, and carbohydrate intake, based on 2 different calorie levels:

Pizza Hut Hand Tossed Cheese Pizza (1 Slice):
235 calories
7 grams of fat
4 grams of saturated fat
29 grams of carbohydrate

1600: For a 1600 calorie diet, your Daily Values would be:
53 grams of fat
18 grams of saturated fat
240 grams of carbohydrate

7/53 grams = 13% fat
4/18 grams = 22% saturated fat
29/240 grams = 12% carbohydrate

For fat, 65 grams (or 30% of 2,000) is greater than 53 grams (or 30% of 1600). So those 7 grams take up a greater proportion of a fat budget on a 1600 calorie diet. Hence, the percentage,13 is greater than the 10% we see on the label.

2200: For a 2,200 calorie diet, your Daily Values would be:
73 grams of fat
24 grams of saturated fat
330 grams of carbohydrate

7/73 grams = 9% fat
4/24 grams = 17% saturated fat
29/330 grams = 9 % carbohydrate

For fat, 65 (or 30% of 2,000) is less than 73 grams, or 30% of 2,200. So those 7 grams take up less of your fat budget on a 2,200 calorie diet. Hence, the percentage, 9%, is less than the 10% we see on the label.

Again, the percentages of the macronutrients and the values for the smaller nutrients are for reference purposes only. Your individual dietary needs may require a different percentage of the nutrients, as well as higher or lower amounts of the vitamins and minerals.

The Bottom Line

While food labels can be very informative, they are not necessarily the true values of foods in your diet. The Daily Values are helpful for individuals on 2,000 calorie per day diets, but they are impractical for those on diets with different calorie levels. The percentages don't show you how much you are eating, only the actual grams of the nutrients.

To track your diet, remembering your goal amount of each nutrient for the day, which can be found in the nutrition goals section on DietWatch. You can watch how the amount of nutrients add up during the day, using the nutrition calculator in the "My Plan" section (The dropdown on the upper right contains the different nutrients at a glance). Calculating the percentages of nutrients in each food can take longer than adding the total calories and fat grams each day. So use it as a guide, but remember to go higher or lower depending on your calorie goal.

Jessica Axinn contributed to this series.

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