Start with the serving size and servings per container. Calories and nutrients on a Nutrition Facts label are based on the stated serving, so eating twice that amount generally means twice the listed calories, nutrients, and % Daily Value. FDA says serving size reflects the amount people typically eat or drink; it is not a recommendation of how much you should consume. The guidance describes the U.S. packaged-food label and does not replace an individual's nutrition goals or medical advice.

Illustration of a blank nutrition panel on a package beside bowls and a measuring cup; no FDA data or numbers are legible.

Match the serving basis to the amount you eat

FDA serving sizes reflect amounts people typically eat or drink and help compare similar foods; they are not recommendations for an individual. Calories and nutrients refer to that amount, so first check servings per container and the listed household and metric units. If one cup is a serving and you eat two cups, multiply calories, nutrients, and %DV by two; a 180-calorie serving eaten at one and a half servings provides 270 calories. Keep food states and units aligned: dry weight and cooked volume are not interchangeable. Compare products using the same amount you expect to eat, and read the label rather than guessing from package size or individual wrapping.

Use %DV one nutrient at a time

The % Daily Value (%DV) tells you what share of the Daily Value for a particular nutrient is in one serving. A serving with 20% DV of sodium supplies one-fifth of the label's reference amount for sodium. It is a comparison tool, not a judgment that the food is right for you or a personal daily target. Individual needs may differ with age, health conditions, and other factors.

FDA's quick guide is 5% DV or less per serving is generally low and 20% DV or more is generally high. Apply those benchmarks to each nutrient separately; the %DV column is not supposed to add up vertically to 100%. You may use higher %DV as one way to find nutrients you want more of, such as fiber, and lower %DV for nutrients you may want to limit, such as saturated fat, sodium, or added sugars. The rest of your diet still matters.

Read the amount and the percentage together

Grams or milligrams show the amount in a serving; %DV compares it with a nutrient’s Daily Value. Read both to distinguish quantity from its share of the reference. Some nutrients have no %DV, so do not read a blank as zero; see the FDA exceptions below.

The label reports facts about a packaged food; it does not reduce overall diet quality to one score. The same amount can matter differently depending on how often you eat the product, what else you eat, and your own needs. If you are managing a condition or setting a specific nutrition target, ask a clinician or registered dietitian for individualized guidance. The basic reading sequence is serving size, actual portion, then the %DV of the nutrients relevant to you.

FDA exceptions: sugars, protein, and dual columns

FDA has not established a Daily Value for total sugars, so that line has no %DV. Protein %DV is required when a protein claim is made or when a food is intended for infants and children under age four. For foods intended for the general population age four and older, it is not required if no protein claim appears. An absent protein %DV therefore does not mean the food contains no protein or that the amount is inadequate.

Some packages containing more than one serving but reasonably eaten in one or multiple sittings must show a dual-column label: amounts per serving and per package or unit. This makes the whole-package amount visible. FDA illustrates this with a three-serving bag of pretzels, showing both one serving and the entire bag. If your portion differs from the displayed basis, calculate from the column’s serving amount. The rule applies to specified package circumstances, not every product.

Expert guidance from a dietitian-reviewed source: match dry and cooked measures

The registered-dietitian-reviewed MedlinePlus guide uses spaghetti to show that a dry weight and a cooked volume may describe different states. Match the package basis to the food as eaten before scaling serving amounts.

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