The labels on the foods you buy can help you create healthy meals. Start by finding the Nutrition Facts panel. Now take a look at what you can find here:

1 Calories and Calories from Fat. These help you see whether a food is low in calories and fat. A low-fat food gets less than 30 percent of its calories from fat. Avoid foods that are high in calories but low in nutrients.

2 Serving Size. This is the amount of food that should be in a single serving of this item. Check this carefully. If the serving size is ½ cup and you eat twice that amount, you are getting twice the calories and fat listed on the label.

3 Total Fat, Cholesterol, and Sodium. Use the nutrition label to help you choose foods low in fat, saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol. Eating too much of these may increase the risk for heart disease and certain cancers. A Percent Daily Value (%DV) of 20 percent or more is considered high. Choose foods with lower %DVs for fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Choose foods with higher %DVs for fiber, vitamins, and minerals.