AHA

Serving Size
Is your serving the same size as the one on the label? If you eat double the serving size listed, you need to double the nutrient and calorie values. If you eat one-half the serving size shown here, cut the nutrient and calorie values in half.

Calories
Are you overweight? Cut back a little on calories! Look here to see how a serving of the food adds to your daily total. A 5' 4", 138-lb. active woman needs about 2,200 calories each day. A 5' 10", 174-lb. active man needs about 2,900. How about you?

Click to discover Easy Dietary Guidelines that can help you easily adopt a heart-healthy, nutritious diet.

Total Carbohydrates
When you cut down on fat, you can eat more carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are in foods like bread, potatoes, fruits and vegetables. Choose these often! They give you nutrients and energy.

Click to discover more about the role Carbohydrates and Sugars play in your healthy diet.

Dietary Fiber
Grandmother called it "roughage," but her advice to eat more is still up-to-date! That goes for both soluble and insoluble kinds of dietary fiber. Fruits, vegetables, whole-grain foods, beans and peas are all good sources and can help reduce some of the risk factors for heart disease and cancer.

Click to discover more about the role Fiber plays in your healthy diet.

Protein
Most Americans get more protein than they need. Where there is animal protein, there is also fat and cholesterol. Eat small servings of lean meat, fish and poultry. Use fat-free, �% fat or 1% fat milk, and fat-free or low-fat yogurt and cheese. Try vegetable proteins like that in beans, grains and cereals.

Vitamins & Minerals
Your goal here is 100% of each for the day. Don't count on one food to do it all. Let a combination of foods add up to a winning score. Click to Supplement Your Knowledge of vitamin and mineral supplements.

Although it may look like a puzzle to you now, these handy pointers will help you translate each item of the food label so you can use it with ease every time you visit your local grocery store.

Just click on the highlighted items below to instantly discover what the food label means to you!!

Total Fat
Aim low: Most people need to cut back on fat! Too much fat may contribute to heart disease and cancer. Try to limit your calories from fat. For a healthy heart, choose foods with a big difference between the total number of calories and the number of calories from fat.
Click to discover easy Fat Intake Goals that will help you adopt a heart-healthy, nutritious diet!
Saturated Fat
A new kind of fat? No - saturated fat is part of the total fat in food. It is listed separately because it's the key player in raising blood cholesterol and your risk of heart disease. Eat less!
Click to discover more about the role Saturated Fat plays in your healthy diet.
Cholesterol
Too much cholesterol - a second cousin to fat - can lead to heart disease. Challenge yourself to eat less than 300 mg each day.
Click to discover more about the role Cholesterol plays in your healthy diet.
Sodium
You call it "salt," the label calls it "sodium." Either way, it may add up to high blood pressure in some people. So, keep your sodium intake low - the AHA recommends no more than 2,300 mg sodium per day for healthy adults.
Click to discover more about the role Sodium plays in your healthy diet.
Daily Value
Feel like you're drowning in numbers? Let the Daily Value be your guide. Daily Values are listed for people who eat 2,000 calories each day. If you eat more, your personal daily value may be higher than what's listed on the label. If you eat less, your personal daily value may be lower.
For fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, choose foods with a low % Daily Value. For total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals, your daily value goal is to reach 100% of each.
Click to discover Easy Dietary Guidelines that will ensure you are eating your healthy best.