Fat

A healthful diet should consist of 20-35% of calories from fat (400 to 700 calories), especially from monounsaturated fats. Saturated fats should not exceed more than 7% of total daily calories or less than 140 calories (16 grams). Trans fat should be limited to 1% or less than 20 calories (2 grams).

Cholesterol

The general recommendation for cholesterol is limiting intake to 300 milligrams per day.

Carbohydrates

Recommendations suggest healthy adults should get 45-65% of calories from carbs or 900 calories (225 grams) and 1,300 calories (325 grams) per day based on percentage range.

Protein

Protein varies based on gender, age, activity level, and body weight. However, adults are encouraged to consume 10 to 35% of calories from protein – about 46 grams for women and 56 grams for men.

Serving Size

The numbers are based on the serving size, not the entire package. The serving size is the amount of food or drink generally served while the servings per container reflects how many servings are in the package's entirety.

Sodium

Sodium intake is generally recommended to less than 2,300 mg per day. As a general rule, look at the Percent Daily Value (%DV). 5% DV or less of sodium per serving is low while 20% DV is high.

Fiber

Recommendations suggest a fiber intake of 38 grams per day for men and 25 grams per day for women.

Sugar

Limit the amount of added sugars. Men should be limited to 150 calories (38 grams or 9 teaspoons) and women 100 calories (25 grams or 6 teaspoons) per day from added sugars. To determine if sugars were added, take advantage of the ingredient label.