Food Label Literate – Part One

Print & Share

Food labels are filled with information but do you know what you should be looking for? Use the tips below to become food label literate. Part one will explore how many calories, grams of fat, carbohydrates and protein, are in one serving! Then use the link at the bottom of the page to learn more about reading food labels.
Example Food Label

What is the serving size? 1 cup

Did you know that all the nutrition information listed on the nutrition facts is only for a single serving?
1 cup provides 260 calories, 13 grams of fat, 31 grams of carbohydrates and 5 grams of protein
Most people don’t eat 1 serving!

How many servings are in the entire package of
this product? 2 servings

If you were to eat the whole package, you would need to multiply the total calories, fat, carbohydrates and protein grams by 2.
Try figuring out those numbers now.

Answers: 520 calories, 26 g of fat, 62 g of carbohydrates, 10 grams of protein

Activity: Now that you better understand how to read a food label, choose a food product in your home to analyze. Figure out how many calories and grams of carbohydrates, protein and fat are in (2) servings of your favorite snack. Good luck!

Learn more about the rest of the food label by reading There’s More to Know! Food Label Literate: Part Two.