How to Read a Nutrition Table: A Worked Example

A nutrition table gives you many numbers in a small space. This guide walks through one real example, the table on Habbitree’s Almond Powder page.

Step 1: Find the serving size

The table says the serving size is 30 g and the pack has about 8 servings. That checks out: a 250 g pack divided by 30 g is about 8.3 servings. The serving size is the amount the per-serving column refers to, so it may not match how much you actually eat.

Step 2: Know the two columns

There are two sets of numbers. Per 100 g lets you compare products fairly, because every product is measured against the same weight. Per serving tells you what you get from the amount you actually eat.

You can convert between them: 30 g is 0.3 of 100 g, so 579 kcal × 0.3 is about 174 kcal.

Step 3: Read the %RDA column

Some pages also show %RDA. On this page, 174 kcal is 8.7% of the reference intake for a 2,000 kcal diet, and 6.4 g of protein is 11.9%. The page notes that these figures use FSSAI reference values for an average adult, so your own needs may be higher or lower.

Step 4: Compare total and added sugars

Total sugars include sugars that occur naturally. Added sugars are the ones put in during making. Here, 4.4 g of sugars per 100 g occur naturally in the almonds, and 0.0 g are added.

Step 5: Check the ingredients and allergens

The ingredient list shows what is in the product. For this one it is a single ingredient, almond powder (100%). The allergen line says it contains tree nuts (almonds). The numbers tell you about nutrients, but only the ingredient and allergen lines tell you what to avoid.

A quick checklist

1. Note the serving size and servings per pack.
2. Compare products per 100 g.
3. Use per-serving numbers for what you will eat.
4. Check added sugars, not only total sugars.
5. Read the ingredient and allergen lines.