FOOD INTELLIGENCE · FOOD / HEALTH
Turn the package.
Keep the question.
A serving. A number. A list of ingredients. Each tells you something different. Follow, The Orange! into what a U.S. food label can tell you.
EXPLORE THE NUMBERS
One serving.
Your amount.
Change the number of label servings to see what changes. Or clear the practice values and enter the numbers from a package in front of you.
Practice values use selected entries from FDA’s sample lasagna label. They do not describe a TMLPT recipe or a product recommendation. Values stay in this page and disappear when you reload; they are not saved or sent.
Use figures from a per-serving column. A whole-package column has already counted the package; do not multiply it again.
FOR THE AMOUNT EXPLORED
1 label serving
- Calories
- 280
- Dietary fiber
- 14% DV
- Sodium
- 37% DV
Approximate arithmetic from rounded label entries. This does not reproduce a manufacturer’s exact label calculation.
Fiber: Between 5% and 20% per label serving.
Sodium: High per label serving.
FDA’s 5% / 20% guide applies per serving. These words describe each nutrient; they are not a rating of the food.
This is general U.S. label education, not a personal dietary target, allergy assessment or nutrition estimate for the Kitchen’s development recipes. Follow the FDA sample and explanation ↗
01 · READ WITH CONTEXT
Start with the serving.
A label serving describes an amount typically consumed; it is not a recommendation of how much to eat. Check whether the figures are per serving or per package.
Match the amount you are considering to that stated basis before comparing numbers.
Serving arithmetic does not establish a suitable portion for you.
02 · READ WITH CONTEXT
A percentage needs a reference.
Percent Daily Value (%DV) describes a nutrient’s contribution to a daily reference. FDA’s general guide calls 5% DV or less per serving low, and 20% or more high.
Read each nutrient separately. The column is not a score to add up. Daily Values are general label references; individual needs can differ.
A high or low %DV describes that nutrient, not the whole food or your personal requirements.
03 · READ WITH CONTEXT
Included, rather than extra.
Added sugars are included within total sugars. Do not add the two rows together. Total sugars can also include sugars naturally present in foods.
The added-sugars row has a %DV; total sugars have no Daily Value. These are different questions on the same label.
The rows do not predict the effect of one food on your health.
04 · READ WITH CONTEXT
The ingredient list asks another question.
Read the ingredients and any Contains statement every time. The nine major U.S. food allergens are milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame.
Other foods can cause allergies too. A recipe substitution or missing warning is not proof that a product is safe for a particular allergy.
This guide does not verify a product’s formulation, cross-contact controls or suitability for your allergy.
Official source pages reviewed October 11, 2026. Labels and formulations vary; use the current package.