You can compare products easily because serving sizes listed are comparable for similar food products.

Since serving sizes are similar across the same kind of products, you can compare one food with another, such as one snack food with another. The serving sizes are based on amounts of foods that people actually eat, so they should be realistic.

If you eat more than the recommended serving size at one sitting, change the amounts listed in the nutrition facts label.

For instance, if you eat 2 cups of macaroni and cheese instead of the 1-cup serving size, you need to double the information in the nutrition facts. Based on the information from the sample nutrition facts label, 2 cups of this macaroni and cheese contains 500 calories (250 x 2), 24 grams of total fat (12 x 2), and 940 milligrams of sodium (470 x 2). When you choose food, be sure to think about how much you actually eat.

Use the percent daily values (%DV) to determine quickly if the product is high or low in a nutrient.

The quick guide to %DV serves as a reference point for how foods can fit in to your daily eating pattern. The percentages are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Foods that offer 5 percent or lower %DV are considered low in that nutrient, while 20 percent or more is considered high in the nutrient. This information lets you make educated choices about food. In the macaroni and cheese example, one serving of this product is high in calcium (20 percent), but it is also high in sodium (20 percent). Based on the quick guide to %DV, this food is low in vitamin A (4 percent), vitamin C (2 percent), and iron (4 percent).

You can use the footnote to determine how much or how little of the major food nutrients or food components you should eat every day.

The daily values are in the footnote at the bottom of the nutrition facts label. The footnote shows the recommended minimum amounts of certain nutrients and food components, like total carbohydrates and fiber. It shows the recommended maximums or others, like fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

In the footnote, there are two daily value columns. The label provides daily values for both a 2,000-calorie diet and a 2,500-calorie diet. This is because some nutrient and food component needs change with the energy level, or calorie level, in your diet. You should adjust the values to fit your own caloric intakes. For more information on determining an appropriate number of calories, see http://www.mypyramid.gov[1]. Here you can enter information about yourself and get a good estimate of the daily calories you should consume.

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