How to Read a Nutrition Label

A nutrition label tells you exactly what's in one serving — calories, fats, carbs, fiber, protein, and added sugars. Reading it correctly is the difference between accurate macro tracking and silently undermining your own progress. Most logging mistakes happen at the serving-size step, not at the math.

Rule #1 — Always check the serving size first

Every number on the label is per one serving. Eat two servings, every macro and every calorie doubles.

The FDA standardized "Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed" (RACCs) in 2016, so the visible serving size on most US packaged foods now mirrors a typical portion. Not always. A 16-oz "one serving" sports drink might say 2.5 servings on the label — eat the whole bottle and multiply every number by 2.5.

Three places this regularly trips people up:

• Cereal. Serving size is usually 30-40g. The bowl you actually pour holds 60-90g.
• Pasta. Dry serving is 56g. A restaurant plate of pasta is closer to 200-250g.
• Granola bars. Some "single serving" bars are labeled as two servings. Check before logging.

Check the serving size first. Every time. Always.

The 7 things you need to track

• A — Serving Size. Confirm how many servings you actually ate.
• B — Calories. Total energy per serving.
• C — Total Fat (g). Includes saturated, unsaturated, and trans fats.
• D — Total Carbohydrates (g). Includes fiber and sugars.
• E — Dietary Fiber (g). Subtract from carbs to get net carbs if your plan calls for it.
• F — Protein (g). Always confirm you're hitting your target.
• G — Added Sugars (g). Different from natural sugars. Keep these low.

How to log accurately in MyFitnessPal

1. Weigh, don't measure. Always weigh food on a food scale in grams. Don't use volume (cups, tablespoons) for solid food.
2. Search the exact brand. Generic database entries are often inaccurate.
3. Log as you go. Never try to remember everything at the end of the day.
4. Use the barcode scanner for packaged foods — fastest and most accurate.
5. Search restaurant + item for restaurant meals — most major chains are in the database.
6. Build a custom entry from the label if a food isn't in the database. Takes sixty seconds.

When the database is wrong

MyFitnessPal entries are mostly user-submitted, which means accuracy varies entry to entry. If something looks off, cross-check against USDA FoodData Central — the federal nutrient database the FDA itself uses.

How to spot a bad entry:

• Chicken breast under 20g protein per 100g (real value: ~31g)
• White rice over 50g carbs per 100g cooked (real: ~28g cooked)
• Avocado under 10g fat per 100g (real: ~15g)

When the ratios look impossible, they usually are. Build the entry from the actual label.

Accuracy is everything. Your coach makes adjustments based entirely on the data you provide. Inaccurate logging means inaccurate adjustments — and slower results.