Reading Nutrition Labels

When shopping, read the "Nutrition Facts" panel from the side or back of food package. The "Nutrition Facts" will help you determine how a particular food fits into your total daily diet.

First, read the SERVING SIZE information shown on the top portion of the panel. Serving sizes are becoming more standardized now so similar products now have similar serving sizes to the amounts people actually eat. This makes it easy for you to compare nutrients contained in a serving of similar foods. Total calories and calories from fat are also shown to help you meet recommendations for dietary guidelines. Use caution! Some packages will look like small amounts of a certain aspect such as total calories for a container, but the actual serving size may be a fraction of the total package. 

Next, read the NUTRIENT LIST that appears in the middle portion of the label. This list includes nutrients that you need to consider when planning a well-balanced diet. These nutrients include total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, dietary fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. The amount of each of the nutrients is listed in grams. 

You will notice the PERCENT DAILY VALUE (%DV) listed for the nutrients in a serving of food. The %DV are reference numbers based on a 2000 calorie diet. You can use them to determine what a serving of food contributes to your daily nutrient needs. They will help you decide if a food contributes a lot or a little of the nutrients. Look to see if the nutrients you want to get more of have high percentages. Check to be sure that the nutrients you may want to limit have low percentages. The idea is for you to use the %DV to quickly compare foods to see how it may contribute to your total daily diet. 

Calculating Protein

The easy way...

Take in 1/2 your body weight (in pounds) to your full body weight in grams of protein per day.

Example:
150 pounds / 2 = 75 grams to 150 grams of protein per day.

*This can vary based on factors such as having surgery, pregnancy, illness, and strength training.

Protein offers 4 calories per gram.

Calculating Fats

To calculate your daily fat intake, take your body weight in pounds and divide it by 2.2. This is equivalent to 1 gram of fat per kg body weight.

Example:
180 pound man / 2.2 = 81.8 grams of fat per day.

Fats offer 9 calories per gram.

Calculating Carbs

Moderate Amount:
Consume 2.3 grams per pound, per day.

High Amount:
Consume 3.6-4.5 grams per pound, per day.

Example:
A woman weighing 150 pounds wants to consume a moderate of carbohydrates.

2.3 x 150 = 345 grams per day

*Workouts that are plyometric, drills, sprints, weight lifting or skill training, and less than one hour of aerobic exercise would be considered moderate in terms of carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates offer 4 calories per gram.

The Calorie

The calorie is a unit of measurement of energy producing value we get from things we consume.

1 lb = 3500 calories

WEIGHT LOSS
A person must remove or burn 3500 calories over a period of time. For example, reducing calories by 300 per day and increasing daily activity to burn off an additional 200 calories should result in a weight loss of one pound per week.

500 cal x 7 days = 3500 calories

WEIGHT GAIN
One must add 500 calories per day without adding any additional activity. For example, a peanut butter (low fat) and jelly sandwich on wheat bread with 8oz of 2% milk is approximately 500 calories.

500 cal x 7 days = 3500 calories

WEIGHT MAINTENANCE
Most people leading a moderately active lifestyle  need about 15 calories per pound to maintain their weight. For example, a person weighing 150 pounds would have to consume no more than 2250 calories each day to maintain their weight.

15 cal x 150 lbs = 2250 calories