How to Read a Nutrition Facts Label in 60 Seconds

By Sarah Mitchell • Updated November 13, 2026

The short answerRead the label in this order: serving size first, then the percent Daily Value. As a rule from the FDA, 5 percent or less of a nutrient is low and 20 percent or more is high. Look for more fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium, and for less saturated fat, sodium and added sugars. That takes about a minute, and it works on almost any packaged food.

The Nutrition Facts label is on nearly every package in the grocery store, and most of us glance past it. It is not hard to read, though. A few habits make it quick, and they turn a wall of numbers into a clear yes, no or maybe.

Step 1: Check the serving size and servings per container

This is the step people skip, and it changes everything else on the label. All the numbers below it refer to one serving, not the whole package.

The FDA gives a good example. A lasagna label lists one serving as 1 cup. If you eat 2 cups, every number doubles:

Lasagna label (FDA example)	1 serving (1 cup)	2 servings (2 cups)
Calories	280	560
Saturated fat	4.5 g (23% DV)	9 g (46% DV)
Sodium	850 mg (37% DV)	1,700 mg (74% DV)
Dietary fiber	4 g (14% DV)	8 g (29% DV)

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label."

Two servings of that lasagna carry almost three quarters of a full day's sodium. That is the kind of thing you will only notice if you start with the serving size.

Step 2: Use the 5 and 20 percent rule

The percent Daily Value, written %DV, tells you how much one serving contributes to a full day's recommended amount of a nutrient. The FDA offers a simple guide:

5 percent DV or less of a nutrient per serving is considered low.
20 percent DV or more per serving is considered high.

The Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so treat them as a handy yardstick, not a personal prescription. Total sugars and trans fat do not have a %DV.

Step 3: Pick the right direction for each nutrient

Whether high or low is good depends on the nutrient. The FDA groups them this way:

Aim for a higher %DV	Aim for a lower %DV
Dietary fiber	Saturated fat
Vitamin D	Sodium
Calcium	Added sugars
Iron
Potassium

The FDA says Americans generally eat too much saturated fat, sodium and added sugars, and often too little fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium. The label is there to help you tilt the balance.

The Daily Values worth remembering

You do not need to memorize the label's math. These five are enough to make the grams and milligrams meaningful:

Nutrient	Daily Value
Dietary fiber	28 g
Added sugars	50 g
Saturated fat	20 g
Sodium	2,300 mg
Potassium	4,700 mg

Source: FDA, "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels." For fiber goals by age and sex, see how much fiber you need per day.

Step 4: Look closely at added sugars

Added sugars have their own line on the label, and it is worth a second look. They include sugars added during processing, such as table sugar, syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices. They do not include sugars that occur naturally in milk, fruits and vegetables.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend keeping added sugars below 10 percent of total calories. On a 2,000 calorie diet, that is 200 calories, or 50 grams a day. The FDA notes that for most Americans, the main sources are sugar-sweetened drinks, baked goods, desserts and sweets.

That is why the added sugars line is more useful than the total sugars line. For example, a plain yogurt can show several grams of total sugar and 0 grams of added sugar, because all of it comes from the milk.

Step 5: Compare two products fairly

The label is most useful when you are choosing between two similar foods, like two cereals or two cans of soup. The FDA's advice is to use the %DV to compare, but make sure the serving size is the same first. A cereal that lists a half-cup serving will look better than one that lists a full cup, even if the foods are identical.

The 60-second routine

Serving size. How much am I really going to eat?
Sodium, saturated fat and added sugars. Are any of them 20% DV or more?
Fiber. Is it 20% DV or more? Then that is a point in its favor.
Added sugars in grams. Is one serving using up a big share of your 50 grams?
Ingredient list. Is it short and made of foods you recognize? Our guide to ultra-processed foods explains what to look for.

The takeaways

Start with the serving size. Every number is per serving.
5% DV or less is low. 20% DV or more is high.
Look for more fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium.
Look for less saturated fat, sodium and added sugars.
Compare two foods using the same serving size.

Nutrition label questions people ask

What does %DV mean on a nutrition label?

The percent Daily Value shows how much one serving of the food contributes to the total daily recommended amount of a nutrient, based on a 2,000 calorie diet. As a general guide from the FDA, 5 percent DV or less is low and 20 percent DV or more is high.

What is a good percent Daily Value for sodium?

For sodium, a lower percent Daily Value is better. The Daily Value for sodium is 2,300 mg a day, and the FDA considers 20 percent DV or more per serving to be high. Check the serving size too, because eating two servings doubles the sodium.

How many grams of added sugar are okay per day?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend keeping added sugars below 10 percent of calories. On a 2,000 calorie diet, that is 200 calories, or 50 grams of added sugar a day, which is also the Daily Value on the label.

What is the difference between total sugars and added sugars?

Total sugars include sugars that occur naturally in foods such as milk, fruit and vegetables, plus any added sugars. Added sugars are the ones put in during processing, such as table sugar, syrups, honey and concentrated fruit juice. Only added sugars have a Daily Value on the label.

Which nutrients should I look for more of on a food label?

The FDA suggests choosing foods higher in dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium, and lower in saturated fat, sodium and added sugars.

Sources

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label.

About the author

Sarah Mitchell writes Healthy Years Report and is not a doctor or a dietitian. Every number in this guide links to the organization or study that produced it. How this site works.

This guide is for general education. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before changing your diet, especially if you take medication or manage a health condition.