Get the nutrition facts on common foods found in Fruits, Vegetables, and Cooked Seafood. Learn about the calories, fat, and nutrients in these foods as Percent Daily Values (%DV) based on that found in a 2,000-calorie diet.

We must know how to read a food label to plan a healthy diet. Food labels show us if a food has a little or a lot of certain nutrients. Look on the side of a product to find the Nutrition Facts title.

1. You will find the serving size of the food below the nutrition facts title. Similar food products have similar serving sizes. The servings per container are also included to compare what you eat with the serving size of that product. So remember, if the serving size is 1 cup and you eat 2 cups, then you will need to double the numbers on the label.

2. The amount of calories in one serving of the product is listed. Only a few nutrients are listed on the Nutrition Facts label, which relate to today's most important health issues. The label lists total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium because people overeat these.

3. % Daily values show how one product serving contributes nutritionally to a 2000-calorie diet. Use the % daily values to see if a food has a little or a lot of nutrients.

4. The label requires fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, protein, vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron. Other nutrients may be listed if the company would like to list them.

5. Fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron are listed because people do not eat enough of these every day. It would help if you tried to eat at least 100% of the daily value of each of these every day.

Nutrients are substances found in food that are needed for good health. Your body can't make nutrients, so food must supply them. During digestion, food is broken down into nutrients, which are absorbed into your bloodstream and carried to every cell in your body. More than 40 nutrients in food are classified into six groups: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water. Each nutrient has a specific function and works together for good health.

Carbohydrates - are the body's primary source of energy or calories. Carbohydrates are classified into complex carbohydrates (starches) and sugars. Fiber, another carbohydrate, aids digestion and helps fight some diseases, but it is not a nutrient because it is not digested and absorbed by the body.

Protein - supplies energy and amino acids. Amino acids are building blocks that build, repair, and maintain every cell in your body.

Fats - also supply energy, but they have many other functions. Fats transport nutrients, and they are a part of many body cells. Fats provide storage and insulation for your body. Carbohydrates and proteins that are not needed for energy are stored as fat.

Vitamins - trigger many different body processes. These compounds are needed in tiny amounts in the diet to regulate chemical reactions in the body. Each vitamin has a specific job in your body, so one vitamin can't replace another. Vitamins do not provide energy, but they help our bodies use the energy from foods.

Minerals - are like vitamins used in the body to promote chemical reactions and form body structures.

Water - is a part of every cell and tissue in the body. Water carries nutrients to cells and removes waste products. Water is also needed to help regulate body temperature. Water makes up 55-75% of your body weight.