A plain-language walkthrough of a Nutrition Facts label and the numbers on every FareRx recipe — what they mean, how to use them, and which ones matter most for your condition, whether that's blood sugar, blood pressure, your kidneys, your heart, or your weight.
Every number on a Nutrition Facts label is for one serving — and the serving size is printed right at the top, along with how many servings are in the package. This is the easiest place to go wrong: if a label lists 200 calories per serving and the package holds two servings, eating the whole thing is 400 calories. Check the serving size first, then compare it to how much you actually plan to eat and adjust the rest of the numbers up or down to match.
Calories tell you how much energy one serving provides — useful if you're managing weight, but only half the story. Below calories, the label lists nutrients in grams or milligrams: fat (and saturated fat), sodium, total carbohydrate (with fiber and added sugars), and protein. Two foods with the same calories can be very different once you look at what those calories are made of.
The % Daily Value (%DV) on the right shows how much of a day's recommended amount one serving gives you, based on a 2,000-calorie reference. A quick shortcut: 5% DV or less is LOW in that nutrient, and 20% DV or more is HIGH. Use it to get more of what you want (fiber, potassium) and less of what you're limiting (saturated fat, sodium, added sugars). It's a comparison tool — your personal targets may be higher or lower.
Not every nutrient matters equally for every person. Managing blood sugar? Watch total carbs, fiber, and added sugars, and pair carbs with protein. Managing blood pressure or heart health? Sodium and saturated fat are the ones to keep low, while potassium can help. Managing kidney health? Sodium, potassium, and protein all matter — and your care team may want specific limits. Managing weight? Calories, protein, and fiber are your anchors. That's why our panel now shows the full picture instead of just two numbers.
Carbohydrate and protein on every FareRx recipe are reviewed by our registered dietitian. The rest of the panel — calories, fiber, sugar, fat, saturated fat, sodium, and potassium — is calculated by adding up each ingredient's values from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. government's food-composition database, and dividing by the number of servings. Those are labeled as estimates because real portions, brands, and how you cook all change the final amount. We'd rather show you an honest, sourced estimate than leave you guessing — and we'll never publish a number we made up.
These guides help you cook and eat with confidence, but they don't replace your doctor or dietitian. If you're managing a condition like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or kidney disease, use your care team's targets to decide what fits your plan. FareRx members can talk to our nutrition team any time.
Our registered dietitians help you turn good food into a plan for your health — personalized to your conditions, your goals, and what you actually like to eat. Most people pay $0 with insurance, and we verify your coverage before your first visit.