Learning to Read Food Labels
You can learn the sodium content of foods by reading the food label .
Plan your meals so that you eat only 1500 to 2000 mg sodium each day . When buying prepackaged foods , remember that many different sodium compounds are added to foods , and they are listed on food labels . Watch for the words “ soda ” and “ sodium ” and the symbol “ Na ” on labels , which warn you that these products contain sodium compounds .
Nutrition Facts
8 servings per container
Serving size 2 / 3 cup ( 55 g )
Amount per serving
Calories 230
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8g 10 % Saturated fat 1g 5 % Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg 0 % Sodium 160mg 7 % Total Carbohydrate 37g 13 % Dietary Fiber 4g 14 % Total Sugars 12g
Includes 10g Added Sugars 20 % Protein 3g
Vitamin D 2mcg 10 % Calcium 260mg 20 % Iron 8mg 45 % Potassium 235mg 6 %
Review the serving size and sodium content information . The serving size for this food is ⅔ cup .
The sodium content for that serving is 160 mg .
If you eat the same serving size , you are eating the amount of sodium that is listed .
If the amount you eat is either larger or smaller , the amount of sodium will be larger or smaller , too .
For this example , if you increase the serving size to 1 cup , the sodium content will increase to 240 mg .
* The % Daily Value ( DV ) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet . 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice .
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