Everyday Health Literacy

Made-up example of two juice labels comparing a sugar free claim and a no added sugar claim.

“Sugar Free” vs. “No Added Sugar” vs. “Unsweetened”: What Each Label Claim Means

Three phrases show up on drinks, yogurts and snacks: "sugar free," "no added sugar" and "unsweetened." They sound interchangeable. Under U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules, they are not.…

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“0 g Trans Fat” on a Nutrition Label: What It Means and What It Doesn’t

A label can say 0 g trans fat when a serving has less than 0.5 g. Here is how FDA rounding works and how to read the line.

Serving Size: Source Checks That Prevent Bad Choices

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Serving Size and Your Portion: Calculate the Amount You Actually Eat

The amount on a Nutrition Facts label and the amount in your bowl are not always the same.

Everyday Health Information Checklist: Compare Sources, Labels, and Safer Next Steps

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A Practical Nutrition Label Checklist: Find the Number That Answers Your Question

A food label becomes easier to use when you begin with a question.

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Before You Share Nutrition Advice: A Source-Checking Worksheet

A screenshot can make a nutrition claim look more complete than it is. A number, a logo and a confident headline may be visible while the author, date and underlying evidence are missing.

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How to Compare Food Labels When the Serving Sizes Differ

Two packages can display different nutrient amounts partly because their labeled servings differ.

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Two Nutrition Columns? Read Their Headings Before You Calculate

Two columns of numbers do not always answer the same question. One pair may describe a serving and an entire package. Another may describe a dry product and a prepared portion.

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Grams, Milligrams, and % Daily Value: Keep Nutrition Label Units Straight

A label can show grams, milligrams and percentages within a few lines. They are not interchangeable.

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Dry Mix or Prepared Food? Match Your Serving Calculation to the Label

A serving expressed as a weight is incomplete unless you also know the state of the food.

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Total Sugars and Added Sugars: Read the Includes Line Without Double Counting

Two sugar entries on a Nutrition Facts label do not represent two amounts that should be added together. The smaller category sits inside the larger one.