Understanding food labels: A practical guide to making informed choices.

Remember the food pyramid? Times have changed. The old food pyramid made nutrition seem simple: eat more grains, less meat, and minimal fats. But today’s world of processed foods and conflicting nutrition advice can feel like solving a riddle. Mono-saturated-gluta-what?

This confusion is exactly why Rightway exists. We help anyone who wants an easier healthcare experience cut through the noise. Below, we break down the essentials of food labels and show how our experts turn overwhelming information into actionable steps.

Serving size.

Serving sizes can be really tricky. Have you ever found yourself demolishing an entire sleeve of cookies, checking the calories and thinking "well that wasn’t so bad," only to then realize the serving size is one cookie, not ten? Serving sizes are based on “the amount of food people typically consume” (FDA, 2025), not the size of the packaging or what you should consume.

Why it matters: Misjudging servings can derail your nutrition goals. Rightway’s health guides help you personalize portion strategies, so you’re never left guessing.

Be mindful of what those calories and nutrition breakdowns actually mean, and don’t assume that it’s for the whole package. Some packaging does list both the serving size and entire package values side by side, which makes it much easier to understand what’s applicable when you, ahem, eat the whole pint of ice cream at once.

Daily value.

Think of the daily value percentages on nutrition labels as dietary guardrails. The Food and Drug Administration has determined daily values of various essential nutrients, from fats to sodium to carbohydrates and beyond, based on a standard 2000-calorie-a-day diet. The Daily Value percentage on the nutrition label indicates how much this food contributes to the daily goal (or limit) of 100%. Unless you’re tracking your diet in an app, you’re probably not calculating how close you are to hitting your daily value percentages with each meal. Therefore, a good rule of thumb from the FDA is:

5% DV or less of a nutrient per serving is considered low. (FDA, 2025)
20% DV or more of a nutrient per serving is considered high. (FDA, 2025)

These values can help you decide what you need to eat more of or skip in your other meals of the day.

The big three to avoid.

We’ve all heard about fats and sugars as “problematic” ingredients in processed foods, but do you know how to spot them or why they should be limited?

Saturated fat:

These are fats that remain solid at room temperature (American Heart Association, 2025) and are found in meat, dairy, and oils such as palm or coconut. The American Heart Association considers them a contributing factor to raising LDL (colloquially known as “bad” cholesterol), which can lead to stroke and heart disease. Experts recommend no more than 13 grams of saturated fat a day.

Rightway tip: Our dietitians recommend swaps like avocado or olive oil. Book a session to learn more.

Trans fat:

Often industrially created, trans fats are liquid vegetable oils turned solid through a process called hydrogenation (World Health Organization, 2024). You may be familiar with the term partially hydrogenated oils. These oils are shelf-stable and cheap, making them a popular choice for adding to processed foods. Not only do trans fats raise “bad” cholesterol, they also lower “good cholesterol (Mayo Clinic, 2025), which is a serious threat to heart health. Artificial trans fats have been banned in the US since 2015, but some small amounts can still be found in processed, deep fried, and fast foods (Very Well Health, 2023).

Rightway tip: Scan ingredient lists for “partially hydrogenated oils,” the primary source of artificial trans fats. When in doubt, snap a photo of the label and enter the Rightway app. Your health guide will help you decode it.

Added sugars:

The FDA recently updated its nutrition label to make a clearer distinction between sugars and added sugars. Naturally occurring sugars, such as fructose, exist in tandem with vitamins, fibers, and minerals that your body can absorb and process. Added sugars are supplemented by food manufacturers to increase sweetness and add flavor, but they don’t add any beneficial nutritional value. Read the sugar section of your food label carefully (Colorado State University, 2021), as well as the ingredients, to make sure you know how much sugar you’re eating – and what kind.

Rightway tip: Health guides can decode labels and suggest alternatives, like how to satisfy cravings without the sugar crash.

Healthcare choices don’t have to be hard.

Deciphering labels shouldn’t feel like a chemistry exam. At Rightway, real people simplify every step for you:

Get 1:1 support from dietitians to interpret labels for your unique needs.
Join fitness classes that align with your nutrition goals.
Access tools to track progress without the guesswork.

Remember, you can call or chat with a health guide directly through the Rightway app at any time. We will answer your healthcare questions, find top in-network providers in your area, and ensure you get the best care possible at the most affordable price.