Do you feel confused or unsure after taking a look at the nutrition labels on your food? Are you trying to lose weight, or simply eat healthier, but you’re not sure what you are putting into your body? Well, don’t worry too much because you are not alone, and I’m going to simplify it all for you.

Experts recommend that you consume 40%-60% of your calories from carbohydrates (complex), less than or equal to 30% of your calories from fat, and 15%-25% of your calories from protein. Carbohydrates, fat, and protein are the only three energy providing macronutrients (yes, alcohol is too – but that’s a whole different story). You should also be trying to consume 25-30 grams of fiber (from whole food sources) daily.

But what does this have to do with nutrition labels? To be successful in following the guidelines set by the experts, it’s easiest to plan our meals and snacks under the same guidelines: 40%-60% carbohydrates, less than or equal to 30% fat, and 15%-25% protein for everything we eat. By doing this we can ensure that we are meeting the recommended guidelines for the whole day.

OK, so how do I figure that out? Good question, I’m going to walk you through it. I have in my hand a granola bar, and the nutrition label reads as follows:

• Calories: 100
• Fat: 3g
• Carbohydrates: 17g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 2g

The first thing we are going to do is subtract the amount of fiber from the total carbohydrates. In the case of my granola bar it will look like this: 17g – 1g = 16g carbohydrates. Now we want to determine the accuracy of our nutrition label. To do this we need the following information:

Energy per gram of each macronutrient:

• Fat: 9 calories/gram
• Carbohydrates: 4 calories/gram
• Protein: 4 calories/gram

Next we want to multiply each number above with the amount (in grams) of each corresponding macronutrient on our nutrition label. So for my granola bar it will look like this:

• Fat: (3g)x(9 calories/gram) = 27 calories from fat
• Carbohydrates: (16g)x(4 calories/gram) = 64 calories from carbohydrates
• Protein: (2g)x(4 calories/gram) = 8 calories from protein
• Total: 99 calories

Does the sum of all three (fat+carbs+protein) add up to the total amount of calories listed on the actual nutrition label? Probably not. For one reason or another it never quite adds up (generally due to regulatory guidelines that govern how manufacturers can market their food products). As long as it’s within a few (+/- 5) calories we are OK.

Next we have the percentages, the information we are looking for. To figure out the percentage of each macronutrient you are going to divide the calories from each macronutrient by the total number of calories in your food item. My granola bar looks like this:

• Fat: (27)/(99) = 27% Fat
• Carbohydrates: (64)/(99) = 64% Carbohydrate
• Protein: (8)/(99) = 8% Protein
• My granola bar is a little low in the protein department, but overall it’s not a bad choice.

There you have it. It may seem like a lot of work, but it’s really not. Once you do it a few times and get the hang of it, the process will become second nature. Besides, spending a few extra minutes a day making informed decisions about the food you are eating can go a long way. It might even save your life.

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