Applying the 5 and 20 rule to read FOOD LABELS

First look at Serving Size and servings per container (look at label above as a reference). Calorie and Nutrient information is for 1 serving only, so if the box/ product says 2 servings / container and you plan to eat the whole box you have to multiply X 2 to get the right values. Caution, some products can hold up to 6 servings / container so if you plan on eating the whole box, do the math.

Next, after you glance at the calories and fat content, look at the % DV (Daily Value) which is the amount of a nutrient in one serving compared to the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) based on a 2000 calorie diet. In simple terms what the % DV tells you is the percent of a particular nutrient you’re getting from that product. For example if you’re getting 45% of calcium as in the label below, you can gauge that you only have to get another 55% calcium from other foods through the day, to reach your goal of 100%.

Then you apply the ‘5 and 20′ rule to the nutrients. General rule of thumb- anything that’s 5 % and below is a poor source of that nutrient, anything that’s 20 % and above is a high source and anything in between is a medium source.

Nutrients that you want get a lot of in your diet like calcium, fiber, maybe protein aim for 20 % or above. Nutrients that you want to get less of in your diet like Saturated fat, Sodium , maybe Carbs( if you’re on a low carb diet) aim for 5% or below or the numbers in between 5 and 20. I don’t have to say that you probably should not be looking for fiber in a Dairy product or Calcium in a cereal box (unless fortified) etc, so use the rule “in context “of the nutrient – if that makes sense. So next time you’re at the grocery store use the 5 and 20 rule to guide you effortlessly down the aisles and watch as healthy food products magically appear in your cart. Just a note, Also look out for words like “partially hydrogenated“, “trans fat“and steer clear of products that have them. Personally, if a product has too many ingredients, especially ones that I don’t understand I usually pass on it. Happy Grocery shopping – and take time to read the labels.