Make Calories Work For You. Calories are now displayed in a larger and bolder font on the new Nutrition Facts label to make the information easier to find and use. To achieve or maintain a healthy body weight, balance the number of calories you eat and drink with the number of calories your body uses. Two thousand calories a day is used as a general guide for nutrition advice, but your calorie needs may be higher or lower. “Caloric needs vary depending on a person’s sex, age, height, weight, and physical activity levels,” Wright says. “Consider consulting a registered dietitian nutritionist to help you determine the number of calories your body needs.”
Use the Percent Daily Values as A Guide. The Percent Daily Values help you evaluate how a food fits into your daily eating plan, not just for one meal or snack. Percent Daily Values represent the amount a nutrient contributes based on a serving of that food and in relation to 2,000 calories per day.
“Percent Daily Values help with the comparison of foods,” Wright says. “Look for foods with Percent Daily Values of five percent or lower in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. Look for foods with Percent Daily Values of 20 percent or higher in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber.”