How to Read Food Labels Correctly: Nutrition Facts, Serving Sizes, and Misleading Claims Explained
What Nutrition Facts Really Mean, How Serving Sizes Mislead, and How to Spot Marketing Claims That Distort Food Quality
Understanding how to read a food label is one of the most practical and powerful skills you can develop for protecting long-term health. Yet for many people, nutrition labels are confusing, misleading, or falsely reassuring—especially when packaging relies on words like healthy, natural, or all-natural to influence perception.
In practice, many products marketed as “better for you” still contain excessive added sugars, refined oils, artificial additives, or low-quality ingredients that quietly undermine metabolic health, gut function, and inflammation balance (2). The disconnect between marketing claims and ingredient reality is one of the biggest challenges consumers face when navigating modern grocery stores.
How Do You Read a Food Label Correctly?
To read a food label correctly, start with serving size, then evaluate calories in context, review the first three ingredients, identify added sugars and refined oils, and ignore front-of-package marketing claims. The ingredient list—not packaging language—reveals true food quality.
Rather than analyzing every possible additive, the sections below explain how each part of the Nutrition Facts panel works and how to interpret it in a practical, clinically meaningful way.
For a broader clinical framework on how food labeling, processing, and environmental exposure intersect, explore:
For a broader clinical framework on how food labeling, processing, and environmental exposure intersect, explore:
How to Read a Nutrition Facts Label Correctly
When you turn a package over, the Nutrition Facts panel presents structured data—but those numbers only become meaningful when interpreted correctly. A standard food label is divided into several sections, each offering a different piece of information about nutritional content and potential metabolic impact (1).
The key is understanding how these sections work together, rather than evaluating any single number in isolation.
What Information Is Included on a Nutrition Facts Label?
A typical nutrition label includes:
Serving size
Calories per serving
Macronutrients (carbohydrates, fat, protein)
Selected vitamins and minerals
Percent Daily Value (%DV)
Understanding how these components interact is essential for accurate interpretation.
Why Serving Size Is the Most Misleading Part of a Food Label
Serving size is the foundation of the entire Nutrition Facts label. Every calorie, nutrient amount, and percentage listed is based on one serving—not the entire package.
Manufacturers often manipulate serving sizes to make products appear lower in calories, sugar, or sodium than they truly are. If you consume more than one serving—which is common—you must multiply every value accordingly (7).
This practice is one of the most common ways people unknowingly exceed recommended intakes of sugar, refined carbohydrates, and sodium, even when they believe they are eating “moderately.”
Is Serving Size Per Package or Per Serving?
Many consumers assume a package contains one serving, but that is often not the case. Some small snack packages contain two or more servings, meaning the calories and sugar listed must be doubled or tripled to reflect actual intake. Always confirm how many servings are in the container before evaluating the numbers.
Are All Calories the Same for Your Body?
Calories represent energy—not nutritional value.
Two foods with identical calorie counts can have dramatically different effects on blood sugar regulation, inflammation, satiety, and metabolic health depending on ingredient quality and nutrient density (8).
Highly processed foods often provide calories without meaningful nourishment, while whole foods deliver energy alongside fiber, minerals, antioxidants, and bioavailable vitamins that actively support metabolic and cellular health.
Are All Calories the Same for Your Body?
The metabolic impact of a food depends on more than calorie quantity. Fiber content, processing level, ingredient quality, and glycemic load all influence how the body responds. A calorie from refined sugar does not affect insulin signaling the same way a calorie from whole food carbohydrates paired with fiber and micronutrients.
What Nutrients Should You Look For — and Limit — on a Food Label?
The nutrients section of a food label becomes meaningful only when interpreted in context. Rather than focusing on a single number, it is more useful to identify overall patterns that reflect ingredient quality, processing level, and metabolic impact.
What Nutrients Should You Look For on a Food Label?
When reviewing the Nutrition Facts panel, look for:
Meaningful fiber content
Adequate protein relative to total carbohydrates
Whole-food sources of fat
Minimal added sugars
Fiber is particularly important, as it supports gut integrity, blood sugar stability, and satiety regulation. Foods naturally rich in fiber tend to be less processed and more metabolically supportive.
Protein content should also be evaluated in proportion to carbohydrate load. Products high in refined carbohydrates but low in protein are more likely to destabilize blood sugar levels.
What Ingredients Should You Avoid on a Food Label?
Certain nutrient patterns commonly indicate lower-quality packaged foods, including:
Added sugars
Refined carbohydrates
Highly processed industrial oils
When consumed regularly—especially in ultra-processed products—these ingredients are associated with insulin dysregulation, chronic inflammation, and increased metabolic stress (5,6).
Rather than eliminating entire food categories, the goal is to recognize these patterns and minimize cumulative exposure over time.
What Does Percent Daily Value (%DV) Really Mean on a Food Label?
The Percent Daily Value (%DV) shows how much a nutrient in one serving contributes to a standardized daily intake. It is designed as a general reference tool, not a personalized recommendation.
%DV values are based on broad population estimates and do not account for individual differences in metabolism, activity level, gut health, nutrient absorption, medications, or health status (3). As a result, %DV should be viewed as contextual information—not a definitive indicator of whether a food supports your specific nutritional needs.
Is Percent Daily Value Based on Your Individual Nutrient Needs?
No. %DV is calculated using generalized dietary reference intakes intended for the average adult. It does not adjust for age, metabolic health, stress levels, digestive function, or existing deficiencies. For this reason, a food providing “20% DV” of a nutrient may still be insufficient—or excessive—depending on individual physiology.
Why the Ingredients List Matters More Than the Nutrition Facts Panel
While the Nutrition Facts panel provides numbers, the ingredients list reveals actual food quality.
The Nutrition Facts label tells you how much of something is present. The ingredients list tells you what the product is actually made of.
Why the First Three Ingredients Matter Most
Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. The first three ingredients typically make up the majority of the product.
If added sugars, refined grains, or industrial oils appear near the top of the list, the product is primarily composed of those ingredients—even if the front label highlights “whole grains” or “natural” claims.
This ordering system makes the ingredient list one of the most important tools for identifying ultra-processed foods.
Are Long Ingredient Lists a Sign of Ultra-Processed Food?
Foods with long ingredient lists, vague descriptors, or unfamiliar chemical names are typically more processed and less nutrient-dense.
While not every unfamiliar word is harmful, increased complexity often reflects industrial formulation rather than whole-food sourcing. As processing increases, fiber content, nutrient density, and metabolic stability often decline (3,8).
Is It Better to Choose Foods Without Nutrition Labels?
One of the simplest ways to reduce confusion around food labels is to choose foods that do not require a label at all.
Single-ingredient whole foods—such as fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, eggs, and natural fats—are not required to carry Nutrition Facts labels because they are not processed. When food remains close to its natural state, there is no ingredient list to interpret, no serving size manipulation, and no marketing language to decode.
Why Whole Foods Don’t Require Ingredient Lists
Whole foods do not require labels because they are not manufactured products. Their nutrient composition exists naturally rather than being industrially formulated.
This does not mean every packaged food is harmful, but it highlights an important principle: the more a food requires explanation, the more scrutiny it deserves.
Building meals around whole, minimally processed foods naturally reduces exposure to added sugars and refined ingredients while supporting nutrient density and metabolic health (3,8).
→ Gut Health & Digestive Restoration
What Ingredients Should You Avoid on Food Labels?
Many packaged foods contain ingredients that do not support long-term metabolic or digestive health. While not every additive is harmful in isolation, regular exposure to highly processed ingredients increases cumulative dietary stress, disrupts metabolic signaling, and places added burden on detoxification pathways (4,6).
Rather than focusing on a single ingredient, look for recurring patterns that signal ultra-processing.
Hidden Names for Added Sugar on Food Labels
Added sugars may appear under multiple names, including syrups, fruit concentrates, maltodextrin, and other sweeteners. When sugar-related ingredients appear multiple times on a label, total intake may be higher than it initially appears.
Refined Seed Oils on Ingredient Lists
Refined vegetable and seed oils are commonly used for shelf stability and cost efficiency. When these oils appear near the top of the ingredient list, they typically represent a significant portion of the product’s fat content.
Artificial Ingredients and Additives on Food Labels
Flavor enhancers and synthetic additives are designed to improve taste, texture, and shelf life. While not all additives are harmful, products relying heavily on these compounds are typically more processed and less nutrient-dense.
Preservatives to Watch for on Food Labels
Preservatives extend shelf life but do not enhance nutritional value. Frequent exposure to highly preserved packaged foods increases overall dietary processing load.
When these ingredients appear early in the ingredient list, they typically make up a substantial portion of the product and are best minimized in a health-supportive dietary pattern.
→ Detoxification & Environmental Medicine
What Food Label Claims Are Misleading?
Food packaging frequently relies on marketing language that sounds reassuring but has little regulatory or nutritional significance. These claims often create a “health halo” around products that remain highly processed.
Front-of-package language is designed to attract attention—not necessarily to reflect ingredient quality. For this reason, the ingredient list—not the marketing claim—should guide purchasing decisions (2,4).
What Does “Natural” Really Mean on a Food Label?
The term “natural” is loosely defined and does not guarantee minimal processing, absence of additives, or meaningful nutrient density. A product labeled natural may still contain refined sugars, industrial oils, or synthetic ingredients.
Is “Multigrain” the Same as Whole Grain?
“Multigrain” simply means more than one type of grain is present. It does not guarantee that those grains are whole or unrefined. Products labeled multigrain may still rely primarily on refined flour.
What Does “No Cholesterol” Actually Indicate?
“No cholesterol” is often used on plant-based processed foods that never contained cholesterol to begin with. This claim does not automatically indicate superior nutrient quality or metabolic benefit.
Does “Made With Whole Grains” Mean Mostly Whole Grains?
Not necessarily. “Made with” may indicate only a small percentage of whole grain content. The ingredient list and grain ordering determine whether whole grains are a primary component.
What Nutrition Facts Actually Support Long-Term Health?
Modern diets are increasingly low in nutrient density due to soil depletion, industrial food processing, and reliance on packaged convenience foods. As a result, many individuals fail to meet baseline requirements for nutrients essential to metabolic, immune, and neurological health (3).
Rather than focusing only on calories or fat content, it is helpful to identify nutrients that reflect true food quality.
Which Nutrients Are Commonly Under-Consumed?
Nutrients frequently under-consumed in modern dietary patterns include:
Dietary fiber, critical for gut integrity and blood sugar regulation
Vitamin D, essential for immune signaling and hormonal balance
Magnesium, involved in hundreds of enzymatic reactions
B vitamins, necessary for energy production and nervous system function
Essential fatty acids, required for cellular membranes and inflammation balance
These nutrients are more consistently found in whole, minimally processed foods than in highly refined packaged products.
Do Fortified Foods Improve Nutritional Quality?
Meeting nutrient needs is best approached through whole-food sources and individualized assessment, rather than relying on fortified products that often contain synthetic or poorly absorbed forms (8).
While recognizing common nutrient gaps is important, how those nutrients are delivered matters just as much as whether they appear on a label. The presence of added vitamins or minerals does not automatically indicate improved food quality, nutrient bioavailability, or meaningful metabolic support.
Are Fortified Foods Actually Healthy?
Fortified foods are often marketed as a solution to modern nutrient deficiencies, but adding isolated vitamins or minerals to processed foods does not restore true nutrient density. In many cases, fortification compensates for nutrient losses caused by refining and industrial processing rather than improving overall food quality.
What Are Fortified Foods?
Fortified foods are processed products that have vitamins or minerals added after manufacturing. These nutrients are typically added back to replace losses from refining or to enhance perceived nutritional value.
Why Fortification Doesn’t Restore Whole-Food Nutrient Density
Common issues with fortified foods include:
Synthetic nutrient forms that are less bioavailable or poorly utilized
Imbalanced nutrient ratios that may interfere with absorption
Lack of necessary cofactors such as enzymes and phytonutrients
False reassurance that a processed product is “healthy” because nutrients were added back
For example, B vitamins added to refined grains do not replicate the complex nutrient matrix found in whole foods, and vitamin D or calcium fortification does not correct underlying digestive or absorption issues.
Can Fortified Foods Correct Nutrient Deficiencies?
Fortified foods do not account for individual variability. Nutrient needs differ based on digestion, stress, toxin exposure, metabolic health, medications, and genetics. A standardized fortification approach cannot correct personalized deficiencies and may, in some cases, contribute to imbalance.
Rather than relying on fortified processed foods, a more effective strategy is to prioritize whole, minimally processed foods and assess nutrient status individually. This allows deficiencies to be addressed with appropriate dietary choices and targeted support when necessary, rather than masking deeper physiological issues.
When Food Label Knowledge Isn’t Enough
Learning how to read food labels gives you clarity—but interpretation alone does not address underlying physiology. Nutritional needs vary based on lifestyle, stress load, metabolic health, gut function, toxin exposure, genetics, and overall regulatory capacity.
Trying to overhaul your diet all at once often leads to frustration or burnout. A more sustainable approach is to understand what your body specifically requires and implement targeted, measurable adjustments over time.
At Denver Sports & Holistic Medicine, we help patients translate food label literacy into personalized nutritional strategy. Through in-depth consultation and advanced functional assessment, we evaluate nutrient status, metabolic patterns, digestive function, and other variables that influence how your body responds to food.
From there, we develop a structured plan that integrates nutrition, lifestyle modification, and targeted support when appropriate—without relying on generic advice or one-size-fits-all recommendations.
You may request a free 15-minute consultation with Dr. Martina Sturm to review your health concerns and outline appropriate next steps within a root-cause, systems-based framework.
Frequently Asked Questions About Reading Food Labels
What is the first thing you should look at on a food label?
Start with the serving size. Every calorie, nutrient amount, and Percent Daily Value listed on the label is based on that serving—not the entire package. Many products contain multiple servings per container, which can make calorie and sugar intake appear lower than it actually is.
Are calories enough to tell if a food is healthy?
No. Calories measure energy, not food quality. Two foods with the same calorie count can affect blood sugar, inflammation, and metabolism very differently depending on ingredient quality, fiber content, and level of processing.
What does Percent Daily Value (%DV) actually mean?
Percent Daily Value (%DV) shows how much a nutrient in one serving contributes to a general daily intake recommendation. It is based on standardized population estimates and does not reflect individual metabolism, absorption, or specific nutrient needs.
Why can Percent Daily Value be misleading?
%DV does not account for personal factors such as stress, digestive function, activity level, or existing deficiencies. A product may show 20% DV of a nutrient, but that amount may still be insufficient—or unnecessary—depending on your individual physiology.
Why does the ingredients list matter more than marketing claims?
The ingredients list reveals what a product is actually made of, listed in order of weight. Front-of-package terms like “natural,” “multigrain,” or “made with whole grains” are often loosely regulated and may not reflect overall food quality.
Is it healthier to choose foods without nutrition labels?
Often, yes. Single-ingredient whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, eggs, meats, and natural fats do not require labels because they are not processed. Choosing foods without ingredient lists reduces exposure to added sugars, refined oils, and synthetic additives.
Are all packaged foods unhealthy?
No. Not all packaged foods are harmful, but they require closer evaluation. The goal is not elimination, but literacy—understanding how to interpret serving sizes, ingredient lists, and marketing claims to identify higher-quality options.
What nutrients should I prioritize when reading food labels?
Look for meaningful fiber, adequate protein relative to carbohydrates, and simple ingredient lists based on whole-food sources. Minimize added sugars, refined grains, and industrial seed oils when they appear near the top of the ingredient list.
How do I know which nutrients my body actually needs?
Nutrient needs vary based on digestion, stress load, metabolic health, medications, and overall physiology. Food labels provide general information, but personalized evaluation is often necessary to identify meaningful deficiencies or imbalances.
Still Have Questions?
If the topics above reflect ongoing symptoms or unanswered concerns, a brief conversation can help clarify whether a root-cause approach is appropriate.
Resources
U.S. Food & Drug Administration – How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health – Understanding Food Labels
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee – Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Environmental Working Group – EWG’s Food Scores: How to Read Food Labels
Harvard Health Publishing – The Truth About Added Sugar
BMJ – Ultra-processed food consumption and risk of obesity and metabolic disease
Appetite – Serving size and portion size: how food labels influence consumption
The Journal of Nutrition – Nutrient density versus energy density in foods