How to read nutrition labels on food items

The facts on nutrition facts

The nutrition facts table contains the amount of calories and nutrients in a serving of food or drink.

Adapted from Canadian Food Inspection Agency, 2018.

Suggested serving size

All the information in the nutrition facts table is based on this amount to help you:

Understand how much of a nutrient you are eating
Compare calories and nutrients between 2 similar packaged food products
Compare it to the amount you actually eat

Calories

Amount of energy in 1 serving; carbohydrates, fat and protein all contribute to calories
If you eat more than the serving size, your calorie intake will be higher than the value listed
If you eat less than the serving size, your calorie intake will be lower than the value listed

% Daily Value (% DV)

Shows you if the serving size has a little or a lot of a nutrient: 5% DV or less is a little, 15% DV or more is a lot
Use % DV to compare 2 different food products to help you decide which option gives you a higher % DV of nutrients you want more of and a lower % DV of nutrients for which you want less

Fat, saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol

Choose foods with less of these, as saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol are not good for your health

Sodium

Choose foods that keep you within your recommended daily intake:

Age (years)	Recommended daily intake (mg)
1–3	1,000
4–8	1,200
9–13	1,500
14–50	1,500
51–70	1,300
71+	1,200

Carbohydrate (fibre and sugars)

Choose foods with more fibre and less added sugars
Fibre does not raise blood sugar and should be subtracted from the total carbs (i.e., 26 g carbohydrate – 7 g fibre = 19 g available carbs)

Protein

There is no % DV for protein in the nutrition facts table because most people get enough protein
Choose these as your proteins:
- Skinless or lean cuts of meat
- Beans and lentils
- Fish such as salmon, sardines and trout
- Lower fat milk products

Vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron

Choose foods that have higher % DV of these nutrients
Spices, seasonings, herbs, natural and artificial flavours, flavour enhancers, food additives, vitamins and minerals are included – in no specific order – at the end of an ingredient list

Friendly tip:

In Canada, by law, packaged food must be labelled with a nutrition facts table and an ingredient list.

Nutrition claims

Nutrition labels can also include 2 types of optional claims that focus on specific nutrients in a food or drink:

Nutrient content claims

Health Claims

Nutrient content claims highlight the amount of a nutrient in a food or drink. See the table below for more information on a nutrient content claim:

Keywords	What it means	Nutrients used with
Free No 0 Zero Without	Provides an amount of a nutrient that is so small it likely won't have any effect on your body	Calories Sodium Fat Saturated fat Trans fat Cholesterol Sugars
Low Little Few	Provides a very small amount of the nutrient	Calories Fat Saturated fat Cholesterol Sodium Protein
Reduced Less Lower Lower in Fewer	Processed/modified so that it contains at least 25% less of the nutrient when compared with a similar product	Calories Fat Saturated fat Trans fatty acids Sodium Sugars
Lightly	Provides at least 50% less of the added nutrient	Sodium
No added Without added	Has none of the nutrient added to it	Fat Sugar Sodium
Source contains	Provides a significant amount of the nutrient	Calories Protein Omega-3 Omega-6 Fibre Vitamins/minerals
More Higher Higher in	At least 25% more of a nutrient compared with a similar product	Calories Fibre Protein
Good source of	At least 15% of the recommended daily intake	Vitamins/minerals
High in High source of	The food contains at least 4 g of fibre	Fibre
Excellent source Very high Very high in Very high source Rich Rich in	The food provides a very large amount of the nutrient	Protein Fibre Vitamins/minerals
Light	Processed/modified so that it contains at least 25% less of the nutrient when compared with a similar product	Calories Fat
Lean	Contains 10% or less fat	Fat
Extra lean	Contains 7.5% or less fat	Fat

Health claims highlight the benefits of specific food products on certain conditions and/or diseases; they appear with nutrient content claims on food packaging.

Below are 2 examples of health claims you may see on your foods and drinks:

“Une alimentation saine à base d'aliments riches en potassium et faibles en sodium peut réduire le risque d'hypertension, un facteur de risque d'AVC et de maladie cardiaque.”

“Une alimentation riche en fruits et légumes variés peut aider à réduire le risque de maladie cardiaque.”

Helpful tips for smarter food selection

Compare and contrast nutrition facts.

Start with serving size and work your way to number of calories and % Daily Value of both products. Compare these values to make an informed decision on what you’ll be eating or drinking.

Pay attention to % DV.

Select food and drinks with a high % DV of nutrients like calcium, fibre, iron, and vitamin A and a low % DV of carbohydrates, saturated/trans fat and sodium.

Pore over ingredient lists.

Remove items with high amounts of the ingredients you’re trying to avoid based on allergies, intolerances or other dietary objectives. In addition, try to be mindful of the “3 S” ingredients:

Sugar (i.e., corn syrup, honey, evaporated cane juice, sucrose, glucose, fructose, galactose, etc.)
Sodium (i.e., salt, brine, baking soda, etc.)
Saturated fat (i.e., beef fat, butter, lard, palm oil, etc.)

TIP: An ingredient ending in “-ose” is usually sugar.

Be a nutrition claim nerd.

Look for keywords, such as “high in,” “excellent source of,” “low” or “reduced.” Stock up on foods and drinks that are high in the nutrients you need (i.e., vitamins, minerals, fibre) and low in the nutrients you don’t (i.e., saturated/trans fats, sodium, excessive carbohydrates).

Watch out for general health claims.

General health claims such as “healthy for you” or “healthy choice” are made by third parties or corporations. Refer to the nutrition facts table to make informed food selections.