The Importance of Understanding Servings on Nutrition Facts Labels
Published March 13, 2024
I've mistakenly assumed a few times that a food package or a drink container was meant for a single serving.
Without realizing it, I often expect the serving size indicated on the package to match my usual portion, but this is rarely the case.
In the image below, we see it lists 8 servings per container, with each serving containing 25 grams of sugar. To calculate the total sugar for the entire container: we multiply the number of servings, 8, by the total sugars per serving, 25 grams, which gives us 200 grams of sugar.
To visualize the amount of sugar, let's use a sugar packet as a unit of measurement. Assuming each sugar packet contains 4 grams, dividing 200 grams of sugar by 4 grams per packet results in 50 packets of sugar. Now, let's imagine what 50 packets of sugar look like.
Scary, isn't it?
Conclusion
The label example used here shows a high total sugar content, which is not uncommon. Visualizing the sugar content in packets is a helpful exercise to understand the amount of sugar in each container and to consider whether such amounts are necessary in our diet.
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