Title: Calculating Calories on a Nutrition Fact Table

Introduction: Understanding how to calculate calories from a nutrition fact table is essential for maintaining a healthy diet. This handout will guide you through the process of calculating calories per serving using the information displayed on a food label. We will provide two examples and one practice exercise to reinforce your understanding.

Example 1:

Let’s consider a hypothetical food item with the following nutrition facts:

Serving Size: 1 cup (240g) Calories: 150 Total Fat: 5g Total Carbohydrate: 20g Protein: 8g

To calculate the calories per serving, follow these steps:

Step 1: Identify the serving size. In this example, the serving size is 1 cup (240g).

Step 2: Determine the number of servings per container. This information is usually mentioned on the food label. Let’s assume there are 2 servings per container.

Step 3: Calculate the total calories per container. Multiply the calories per serving by the number of servings per container. 150 calories/serving x 2 servings/container = 300 calories/container

Therefore, the total calories in the entire container are 300 calories.

Example 2:

Consider another hypothetical food item with the following nutrition facts:

Serving Size: 2 cookies (30g) Calories: 120 Total Fat: 6g Total Carbohydrate: 16g Protein: 2g

To calculate the calories per serving, follow these steps:

Step 1: Identify the serving size. In this example, the serving size is 2 cookies (30g).

Step 2: Determine the number of servings per container. This information is usually mentioned on the food label. Let’s assume there are 10 servings per container.

Step 3: Calculate the total calories per container. Multiply the calories per serving by the number of servings per container. 120 calories/serving x 10 servings/container = 1200 calories/container

Therefore, the total calories in the entire container are 1200 calories.

Practice Exercise:

Consider a food item with the following nutrition facts:

Serving Size: 1 slice (50g) Calories: 90 Total Fat: 3g Total Carbohydrate: 12g Protein: 4g

Calculate the total calories per container assuming there are 8 servings per container.

Solution: Step 1: Identify the serving size. In this example, the serving size is 1 slice (50g).

Step 2: Determine the number of servings per container. Let’s assume there are 8 servings per container.

Step 3: Calculate the total calories per container. Multiply the calories per serving by the number of servings per container. 90 calories/serving x 8 servings/container = 720 calories/container

Therefore, the total calories in the entire container are 720 calories.

Conclusion: Understanding how to calculate calories from a nutrition fact table is crucial for making informed dietary choices. By following the steps outlined in the examples and practicing with the provided exercise, you can confidently determine the calorie content of various food items. Remember to always refer to the serving size and servings per container to accurately calculate the total calories.