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Cindy Moore, MS, RD Responds:
The Percent Daily Value section of the label is intended to be a general reference. You can modify the fat and carbohydrates to reflect the calories you consume. (Amounts listed for fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron should be daily goals, while amounts for fat and saturated fat should be the upper limits.)
Try this simple math:
Fat calories. No matter the number of calories you consume, you can multiply it by 30% to reach the number of calories from fat that should become your new “upper limit.” For example, if you’re on a 1,200-calorie-a-day diet, multiply 1200 by 0.3 (30%) to get 360—the number of calories from fat you shouldn’t exceed. If you’d like to translate this new number into grams of fat, simply divide it by 9. For example, 360 fat calories divided by 9 is about 40 grams of fat.
Carb calories. Adjust carbohydrate by multiplying your total calories by 60% to reach your new ceiling number for carbs. For example, if you’re on a 1,200-calorie-a-day diet, you can multiply 1200 by 0.6 (60%) to get 720 carb calories. To translate this number into carb grams, divide by 4. For example, 720 carb calories divided by 4 equals 180 carb grams.
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Cindy Moore
MS, RD
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