How to Read Nutrition Facts | Food Labels Made Easy

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Today I am going to teach you guys how to read nutrition facts labels. One of the best ways to improve your health quickly is by learning how to read nutrition labels.
The first thing you’ll notice at the top of nutrition facts are the serving size and servings per container.
This is simply the “amount” in the package or container.
Pretty self explanatory...
Next you have the ingredients.
Everything inside these black lines is representative of ONE serving.
This is important to understand because, next you will see the calories and the calories from fat.
This is pretty much the only thing most people ever look at and this is a common mistake…
If the package says 200 calories on the bag of chips, but the serving per container says 2.5, that means there is actually 500 calories in the bag…
This is a clever little marketing trick that you should pay attention to.
Pressing on, you will see the total fat on the package along with a number and a percentage on the right hand side.
The number represents the total fat in one serving and percentage represents the percentage based on a 2000 calorie diet.
So 8 gram is 12% of a 2000 calorie diet.
I should also remind you that fat is not bad for you and there are plenty of healthy foods that are high in fat.
What you really want to watch out for is any trans fat.
Trans fat is the kind linked to heart disease and all sorts of bad stuff. Avoid this at all costs.
Saturated fat should be much less of a concern.
This may surprise some of you, so I will link a few studies below that have conclusively proven that saturated fat is fine to eat and not the cause of the many diseases it was wrongly accused for.
Think of saturated fat as the middle child of the fat family, he’s got a good heart but is just a little misunderstood.
Now, you may be thinking, wait a minute…
Why does the total number of saturated fat and trans fat not add up to the total fat at the top…
Where’s the other 7 grams?
Well this is because not all fats will be listed on the nutrition label.
Only the nutrients deemed most important ever make it to the nutrition labels.
Don’t worry though.
The other fats not listed are generally healthy and should be much less of a concern.
Pressing on you will see cholesterol and sodium.
Remember, these numbers are based on ONE serving.
If the sodium was 25% of your daily intake and the package had 2.5 servings in it. That means the entire package contains 63% of you daily sodium intake.
Quite a bit considering this is one snack.
Onward, you’ll sees the carbohydrate section.
Carbohydrates are the breads, grains, fiber and SUGARS in the food.
The first section you’ll see is for dietary fiber.
Having a good amount of dietary fiber is a good thing as it helps with digestion and satisfaction from meals.
Now the next section is what you need to pay attention to.
The total sugars in the food you’re eating are important to watch out for as, like the trans fats, these have been linked to a whole host of diseases and health problems.
Also you should be aware of not only the sugar in the food, but what kind of carbohydrates you’re eating.
If the food is very high in carbohydrates, but low in dietary fiber, even though the carbs are not labeled as “sugar,” they will operate very similarly in the blood stream.
These are called “simple carbs.”
This is why you need to watch out for unrefined carbohydrates like white bread and pastas.
Next up, you’ll see the label for protein.
Knowing that foods high in protein lead to better satisfaction from meals, and promote lean muscle tissue, you will want most of the foods you eat to have a good amount of protein.
Finally, we have a few key vitamins at the bottom.
It may sound strange, but ignore these.
The numbers will be notoriously low and you should be focusing instead on getting in lots of fruits and vegetables every day to meet your vitamin requirements.
Leafy greens contain calcium and iron, and fruits contain vitamin c and a.
The rest of the nutrition labels facts contain recommendations about how much of each category to get in.
They do not change on nutrition labels and are not that important.
Finally, on some labels you will see the calories per gram for each macronutrient.
Fat contains 9 grams per serving and Carbohydrates and Proteins contain 4.
So for every 10 grams of fat, you will have 90 calories. For every 10 grams of protein or carbs you will get 40 calories.
Safe to say, you should now have a general understanding of how nutrition labels work.
Most importantly, you can stop assuming something is healthy for you based on tricky packaging and start KNOWING the difference.

[@_sppectra]

POV: You have online school and you’ve been assigned to finish this video and answer questions

[@awakenedmemories9]

same lol

[@yaze_game]

hecc... same

[@myab.1080]

Yo whats the answer to number 3?

[@_sppectra]

@@myab.1080 which question you got cuz we might have something different

[@myab.1080]

@@_sppectra Lol i bet we don't have the same ones. It was like "which label do you think has the word Lite on the packaging". But like there aren't any hints its bull. And what does LITE even mean for a damn nutrition label

[@bananachachen8068]

Ever since I watched this video years ago, it has changed my life forever, now I'm so conscious of labels, serving sizes, nutrition, etc. Many packages make the food seem like they are so healthy and improved but when you read the labels, the facts are right there that would say otherwise. It's easier for businesses to get away with this because a lot of people don't know how to read the labels or understand what it's trying to say

[@GarrodiTravangalez]

In Europe, at least in my country, it is mandatory to have both grams per serving and grams of the nutrient per 100g of product. In some products we also have the %daily intake. However, not many labels are as detailed as yours, we don't usually have trans fats and colestherol listed.

[@TheHealthNerdTV]

Interesting.

[@PetterssonRobin]

Transfats are banned by the EU because they are the WORST, so we don't need them on the label :)

[@deathgripsnightcore8121]

+Robin Pettersson really? That's great!

[@karahauenstein5092]

Something to understand about the US is that we have very loose food laws when it comes to additives and ingredients, so the detail is necessary. A lot of things that are banned in the EU are permissible here, so the FDA requires more detail in food labeling

[@emanuel9918]

Lol nutrients per 100g is so useful, gives me a great idea of ratio. I usually don’t eat anything >5g sugars per 100, unless it’s a sauce or smth I have little of, in which case >15g per 100

[@237omega4]

I had to watch this video for an online class, and ever since I saw it my life has been changed forever. I have been driving in a Lamborghini for a year and it has been amazing. Thank you, TheHealthNerd!

[@TheHealthNerdTV]

Huh, guess I never left a comment on this video. Thanks for checking out and learning up on how to read nutrition facts and food labels properly. This is an older video for me, but still believe it will help you understand labels! Thanks for being here and learning from me. Cheers!

[@GeekyMino]

Great explanation. I really like your videos. Can you do one on daily need of macro nutrients? P.s. What program you use to create the videos?

[@wigglejiggle1718]

The Health Nerd may I ask of what is the difference of kcal and calories in the nutrion facts

[@jethroaquino5821]

The Health Nerd does all food label is true? Or is it accurate?

[@alopez78910]

My nigga, please lower the backround music its too damn loud, but otherwise, amazing video

[@s.nsharma6183]

Please reply in Hindi only

[@melissacooper3616]

I'm teaching a once a week nutrition elective to middle school students in a low socioeconomic school. I plan to use this video prior to an activity on portion size. I think it will be very clear and helpful to middle school students. Thank you!

[@TheHealthNerdTV]

Wow, that is so cool! Thank you so much for sharing this info with me... Really makes the work worth it with comments like this. :)

[@jake_n_2332]

Who’s here from school. Watching KZbin in school check.

[@dagamer6342]

Same lol I want my new LAMBO

[@M8in1]

School gang

[@loserqwq8414]

Yep

[@bellabella-zz4ph]

Hah me 😂🤚🏻

[@MissCrossCountryGirl]

Yep same.

[@janeprusso6060]

Great, simple presentation and explanation. You focused on the one darn issue the general public miss-the information given is for a SERVING and not the whole package. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.

[@jasminpanganiban5873]

my health teacher sent us this and it was great

[@medievalgamerfungaming2542]

Same

[@lilredninjaswiss7806]

Yea this is actually useful, so that’s good

[@benjamindumez]

About 10 min after I subbed my dads friends came over for a party and one of them had a lambo........

[@johnsonwu5706]

dang

[@ricardogarcia1812]

The reason why I sub to this channel is because I love nutrition and Health, and because I also love English. My nativa language is Spanish, so this channel really helps me to better my english

[@mrcorson1984]

Thank you for this, I now feel more confident at the grocery stores and what to avoid

[@suecurtis3055]

It is taught in school! :) I'm an intermediate school health teacher. Our students get nutrition education every year starting in grade 5 in health class, but it is also addressed in the elementary school. Unfortunately, just knowing the information doesn't mean kids/families use the information.

[@kiwifruitkl]

Another way is to reduce consumption of prepared foodstuffs. Just shop in the produce section, the meat section, the egg section, and the grains section. Completely ignore everything else most of the time. Sometime, it's okay to have a piece of candy as a holiday treat.

[@TheHealthNerdTV]

Yup. Other than the occasional cooking oil, pretty much everything in the middle is garbage.

[@kiwifruitkl]

Not necessarily. Rice and flour and dried beans are usually found in the middle, and deli food and bakery goods are found on the sides of the store. The location of the product doesn't always determine the healthfulness of the product. However, the added convenience of prepared foods (either in the grocery store or restaurant) waters down the nutrients. I once compared the amount of calories in a package of dried beans and one can of beans, and I noticed that the dried beans delivered much more food content and calories than the canned beans. Therefore, it doesn't matter whether something is in the middle of the store or not. Just be a smart shopper.

[@TheHealthNerdTV]

There's always exceptions for sure, but 90% of the things in the middle are not what you should be eating. Good point about the baked goods being on the outside.

[@kiwifruitkl]

I guess . . . after you take away the kitchen tools aisle and the organics/natural aisle and the nut butter aisle and the dried beans aisle and rice/noodles aisle. Processed foods like candy and chips and soda and instant noodles are in the aisles, along with the other stuff. Yogurt is a form of sugary processed food, but it's on the perimeter (dairy section). I still contend that convenience foods are not cost-effective (you're paying more for ready-to-eat food) and not healthy (due to high amounts of salt, sugar and hydrogenated fats).

[@thepetiteeclair9187]

Actually.. regarding the dried beans vs canned beans.. Dried beans actually are much less than what you are actually going to eat once cooked. If you cook a cup of beans, you're actually going to end up with 2 cups of beans. They usually grow quite a bit, since when they are being boiled they puff up from the water they absorb. That's why comparing the nutritional value of canned beans vs dried beans won't really be the same amount of beans, kind of like how cooked rice is larger in volume than dry rice.

[@Jaronica77]

Really enjoyed this ! I wish you had included the ingredients part of the label rather than only nutrition facts! Still subscribed !

[@kolokithopitakookithopita3926]

only 68.127 views ???wtf..this guy deserves like a million of them!!!

[@Him38259]

No this is the worst homework

[@harbinger1737]

Subscribed... "waits for lambo in the rain"

[@DefconOneFX]

Darius Fehed I’m watching this for an assignment in school

[@loveoIiviaa]

Aha ya

[@lucyallen9676]

We all know the person that is reading this comment has been told to watch this and answer about 10 questions about which healthy foods are high in fat, how the packaging can be confusing, why we should look out for unrefined carbs, etc 🤣

[@lynnvest3463]

I've been subscribed for 3 years now where's my lambo

[@loveoIiviaa]

Lol ikr

[@clarkclanentertainment7636]

Thank you so much for your videos! They are super helpful!

[@perfectlyimperfect423]

In germany, labels always refer to 100 gramm or 100 gramm and, in addition, one portion. I think it's way more practical this way ^^

[@Fender_sheEsh]

wdym

[@Sandy-lk2ft]

I was going to subscribe, but then I stopped to realize I already did

[@tonkamanage5799]

Oh god that happened to me just a few seconds ago XD

[@epiclight9107]

My PE teacher showed us this is in our online class and it was really informative thanks.

[@noahml2976]

Who’s teacher forced u to watch this

[@jordan8213]

Had to watch it for a college class

[@smartgamer9995]

@@jordan8213I actually am learning this on my own because I’m fat as hell

[@leavesplayz]

Grade 8

[@vickythakur775]

Fitness

[@cryptic_rayj7016]

I forced myself to watch this

[@annejoleneiran]

how is it that i JUST discovered you omg

[@dahg2121]

When counting carbs, if the label reads 10 grams total carbs, but in the sub section there’s 2g of sugars and 2g of added sugars, does it mean that I have 14g of carbs or on the total count of 10, the 4g of sugars are added to the the total? Does the question make sense?

[@princeevansabellonar4965]

thanks for helping in my school im really grateful

[@homehere9817]

Thanks for the simple understanding and I appreciate the middle child analogy when comparing saturated😊 fats!

[@cel9346]

*subscribes* *lambo doesn't show up* I'm saaaaaaaaaaad.

[@TheHealthNerdTV]

Sorry dude. Last time I promise Lambos.

[@cel9346]

LOL. Nice job on the video. We watched this in Health class a few weeks ago and everybody loved it. Keep up the good work dude!

[@TheHealthNerdTV]

That's incredibly cool!! Thanks man and thank you for watching. It means a lot.

[@bobjay5043]

lol

[@evening1457]

SCAM

[@ron_goldfeder4260]

thanks dude this actually helped me study for my health test props to you

[@user-gx3kl6kw7s]

Me watching this not understanding anything: 👁️👄👁️

[@MRSketch09]

Great video.. Not trying to double post. But I think I started to comment & FORGOT to hit the button. Anyways, this was the first vid of 3 vids I watched where it made it clear, that the protein was PER SERVING, and not the ENTIRE CAN... or product.. and that was how it was calculated. Thanks for doing this vid!

[@Melly16yr10]

Ok i've had this burning question for a while well actually 2. One: can i choose healthy food based on the star rating? because thats a tone lot easier to understand and Secondly what keeps you fill the most fibre, protein, fat etc? and thirdly are there any sweet tasting tea that can do a lot of good for you and finally do you have any shopping tips to go healthy and cheap in Australia?

[@becben3346]

Can you please explain calories from fat. On here it says 40. After listening to the video, it says fat provides 9 calories per gram. 9 x 8 = 72. So why don't these numbers match up?

[@arturmuellerromanov4438]

This channel is gold

[@BeckieAmIRite]

please please pleaseeeeeee do a EU label version! :)

[@shaunyboii6540]

Made sense never learned how to understand food labels but thanks

[@maxreax2472]

YO A LAMBO JUST PULLED UP AT MY HOUSE! IT ACTUALLY WORKED!

[@minafan6507]

i love your content though, very helpful and crystal clear. I need this since I've started to become conscious of the food I intake, and disciplined to take better care of my health. Thank you! 😘

[@deeplyinvisible1870]

This is sooo important for all of us not to fall prey to deceptive advertising. Remember people, always think twice of the food you're consuming. Your health is an important aspect of yourself and once you don't take care of yourself, your body will lose its trust on you and will avenge for all the years you abuse it i'm saying this cause i've been experiencing digestive issues more often and after I learned so much what and what not to eat, I throw away all unnecessary junks and start to live my life the healthy way. It's just sad cause I'm 22 right now and I just realized it now.

[@nalathekitten3594]

soooo close to 15K love u health nerd!!!!! u are the best

[@TheHealthNerdTV]

You're the best!! Thanks for all the comments you make on the videos :) Really does help.

[@nalathekitten3594]

+The Health Nerd dats cause you deserve it, your currently my fav channel right now, and we close to 16K too omg 😍😍

[@TheHealthNerdTV]

Awesome! Glad to hear it! If you never need any help just hmu :)

[@caribaez5711]

I learned this my nutrition course but I wanted to review.. I need it for the nursing courses.. someday.. sooner. ✨😃

[@MarzFX]

Ppl who came from skl r here literally dying rn especially me

[@bernie3197]

Thank you I needed to be reminded of this information.

[@HariKrishna-to5di]

what is the product of that nutrition label you used in this video??

[@Kkrose88]

I am so fucking bad at maths that even these simple sums seemed complicated

[@uandtype2832]

This is really helpful for my nutrition exam. Thanks

[@juice102]

Hey health nerd great educational video I liked and subscribed to make sure i can reference it and never lose it again I’m recently getting more serious about my health and this is going to help thank you so much and keep doing what your doing 👍🏻

[@thelifeofphysio373]

Very informative! Thanks for uploading these videos! 👍🏽

[@TheHealthNerdTV]

Anytime! Thanks for watching them and leaving the comment! They really do help me grow the channel :)

[@shanbrown1564]

Good presentation, you mentioned that white bread are unrefined carbohydrates. But, it's a refined carbohydrate because the bran and fiber which contains B Vitamins are removed from cereal grain which makes it a refined carbohydrate.

[@afsahfarooq710]

Thanks a lot for explaining the labels can you explain how much SUGAR is OKAY IN ANY FOOD OR DRINK

[@Sasu123456789x1]

Thanks for this. I'm still struggling with trying to be healthy but knowing this helps! :)

[@mikeey1656]

I see videos demonizing sugar, you saying most fats aren't bad and talk about the healthy fats, have my subscribe sir.

[@kilobytes8942]

hey can u tell what to do to increase hair growth and stop hairfall ? its one of the problem many people face today

[@TheHealthNerdTV]

Roger that. Not expert on the topic but I will keep it in mind for future videos. I do believe there are people that claim hair growth and hair quality improvement with Apple Cider Vinegar. I didn't find any studies, but it may be worth looking into

[@calebankrom3556]

nice video I watched in my healthy foods class it was interesting and helped my class how to understand

[@raptorbait2472]

Nice videos.... Very helpful for us that want to make a difference in our lives... Keep up the good work

[@TheHealthNerdTV]

Thank you for the comment Giovanni and thank you for watching!

[@GP-qo6yz]

Omg thank you I needed this!!!!!

[@wigglejiggle1718]

May I ask of what is the difference of Calories and Kcal in the nutrition facts?

[@bluebobbyjack]

The video that the government doesn't want you to see 🙎🏾

[@memae9570]

LOLL ikr

[@SchuyFit]

😂😂😂

[@kseniachevenard839]

this has nothing to do with the government.

[@sansastark3686]

Bro this went above my head

[@ItzJuztAnnie]

This is great! I understand most of them. But some things I don’t really get it, like why does 230 calories and 2.5 make up to 600? But everything else is easy to understand. :)🎉

[@anniehoun143]

What are some healthy breakfast ideas for weight loss ?

[@FloydsImagination]

Love this! Great for my gr4 here.

[@sir_fire_]

I just got my lambo! Thank you!

[@Lemonz1989]

Wow, your labels are so complicated... Labels in Europe are all in per 100g grams. Portions and recommended daily stuff is all optional. So they look something like this. Per 100 grams: Energy: (in kJ and kcal) Fat: (in grams) - Of which is saturated fat (in grams). Carbohydrates: (in grams) - Of which are "sugars" (simple sugars in grams) Fiber: (in grams) Protein: (in grams) Salt: (in grams) This is especially nice for me, seeing that I have type 1 diabetes. Then I just see at one glance how many carbs are in what I'm eating, without having to subtract the fiber from the total carbs, because they have their own space.

[@cheriness]

I LOVE THE SURPRISED CAT!!!!

[@mohammedlabeeb]

you did explain why the fat numbers don't match which was cool. I'm interested to hear your explanation about the Total carbs not adding up to the sugar + dietary fibers.

[@DuyNguyen-gc5el]

Hi, I have a question. If the ingredients say for example: A matrix ( A1, A2, A3), is that true if I say A1 is more % than A2 or A3 ? Or the manufacturer just write them down randomly. Thank you.

[@minafan6507]

the delivery of your subscribers' Lamborghini got delayed (including me), and will probably arrive... till our next life 😆

[@archangelvillasanta6309]

Using the formula on 4:26, the total calories on 4:34 should be 232 right? And how was the calories from fat computed? Shouldnt it be 72, since it has 8 grams of fat and every gram of fat has 9 calories?

[@Roscal_Ace]

thanks for this i need it for science

[@KatshiQueenOfGames]

I subscribed to The Health Nerd and got a red Renault Sport Twingo. Close enough, right?

[@journeyofmylife6058]

Sir, some items show that there is no sugar and the sugar is written on the bottom of it. How to understand it?? Please reply sir...

[@choctawstorage7300]

Glad, i found this channel. Very good information. Thanks!

[@GoddessHoneiBear]

Hello! Can you help me with something please. The servings per container are really throwing me off. For example this soup I was eating. Serving size is 1/2 a bowl. Calories are 190. Servings per container 2. So does that mean I add half a bowl twice or half a bowl plus half a bowl equals one full bowl and then x 2 making it four half of bowls. So the calories would be almost near 700?

[@John-rg6kt]

When adding the carbs fat and protein in my pitta bread it came up to 172 calories but he packet says it’s 180? Do I need to add dietary fibre, sugar potassium etc to get to the 180 calories? I’m in the Uk England

[@lisavalenzuela337]

thank you so much for making it so clear

[@user-bs3so6xk4n]

Even though fat seems bad to our health, but actually there’s a difference between the good fat and the bad fat, by reading Nutrition labels, we can distinguish the food is healthy or not

[@PigeonMeatt]

i have to watch this and list five facts from this video for culinary class

[@chirathwijekulathilaka516]

It's very good explanation♥️thank you so much

[@monspeaks]

got my Lamborghini! thankie! highly recommended channel 😛

[@aFinalNote]

Learning way more about nutrition on the internet than school :/

[@sandrahernandez3668]

I noticed that some don't have the sugar listed. Does this mean that it doesn't contain sugar? Usually I see "sugar 0".

[@japster7217]

When talking about pasta and white bread, I'm assuming whole grain pasta is not included for this and is still fine to eat?

[@marieshielenriquez]

I think there’s a mistake with the unrefined carbs example you gave. You said white bread and white pastas are unrefined carbs. They are highly refined.

[@marieshielenriquez]

3:31

[@isesfox]

Yeah, totally a mistake

[@sumayya003]

Hey health nerd *I* have a burning health question!! Ok, so some processed foods like carton milk and instant coffee claim to be made of only one pure ingredient like 100% pure milk/coffee, etc. Is that true? I’ve never felt it is so how can you find all the actual ingredients? Also,, some processed foods don’t even have nutrition labels (like Nescafé instant coffee), what can you make of that?

[@cataleira8061]

Would you discuss about body types? Like those Ectomorp, Mesomorph and Endomorph

[@airdragon1016]

don't forget xenomorph lol

[@okaythen001]

if one doesn't eat enough vegetable and fruits, can centrum help with those?

[@madelyntoday7093]

One think I've been wondering about and you answered it to some degree is the labels on vegetables. Right now I'm looking at a pack of Spring Mix it has Baby lettuce and greens inside, but the package says it contains only 4% of the necessary iron. It's greens so why so low? Does this mean that the greens are low in iron, and if not why don't companies brag that the product is high iron?

[@Abhinay_Limbu]

Please explain about cholesterol as well. And MUFA & PUFA also..

[@alexisguy3548]

If a food label says it's 230 calories and has 4 grams of protein and fat, are the calories from the protein and fat already included into the 230 calories or will you have to calculate that yourself separately?

[@kimberlypuddicombe2707]

If frozen fruit in bags has 19g of sugar does it mean that it is something that we should avoid i currently suffer from candida and find with sugar that rhe more sugar the worse my candida gets what should i be looking out for at this point

[@TheHealthNerdTV]

Absolutely, Kimberly!

[@kimberlypuddicombe2707]

The Health Nerd right now i suffer from candida due to my liver at this moment and almost everything contains sugar i really don't know what i should be doing

[@bintangmogot1152]

Thanks this is very helpful

[@JesseNerio]

Hello. How would you solve this nutrition label problem?: Lentils have a largely varied calorie count on different bags. I have trouble losing weight while eating them. How would you estimate the calorie count of lentils accurately? Do you believe the labels are each accurate? What shall I do to count calories while getting fiber? Thanks for the video! It helped a lot!

[@MissEasyPeasySleasy]

Hi, I just subscribed. Do you have any videos on weight/fat loss and alcohol consumption?

[@desertstorm5423]

Thank you for sharing the knowledge

[@ybc817]

Thank you.

[@haiyacenthahupeda742]

It helps me a lot in my assignment 👍thanks

[@diontaedaughtry974]

Thank you this was very helpful and informative 👍👍

[@GeneralPineapple]

Do thermic effect foods work?