Understanding nutrition facts on food labels can help you decide whether or not a product should be in your grocery cart.

Here are some guidelines to help you decipher what you're reading on the label:

Serving size:

Start at the top and the first thing you will see is the serving size. This is a key to the whole package. It is important to note the manufacturer deems the appropriate serving size, so don't be fooled by the numbers.

There is no standardization, so a serving size of one brand of soup can differ from another. This can make it tricky when trying to choose the healthiest soup on the shelf.

Make sure you're looking at the nutrient content for the same amount when comparing brands.

Calories:

The number may not look bad at first glance, but after you take into consideration the serving size again, you may change your mind. Check out the calories and remember that size matters.

The Percentage Daily Value:

Right below the calories and on the right hand side of the label is the percentage daily value (% Daily Value) this specific food contributes toward your diet.

If you are a moderately active woman or a sedentary man who eats 2,000 calories a day, Health Canada basically created the per cent daily Value based on your lifestyle.

As for everyone else, these percentages are there to give you an idea if that food is going to contribute to your health.

Core nutrients as set down by Health Canada:

The standard Nutrition Facts table requires that 13 core nutrients be listed. They are:

calories
fat
saturated and trans fats
cholesterol
sodium
carbohydrate
fibre
sugars
protein
calcium
iron
Vitamins A and C
These 13 nutrients were selected to always appear in the Nutrition Facts table because health professionals and scientists consider them to be important to long-term health.

The facts table can help you compare similar products more easily, check out the health content, and if you are on a special diet such as a person living with diabetes, to make healthier choices.

Fat

The total amount of fat per serving is listed. Right below this fat is broken down into two types: saturated and trans fat content. The per cent daily value is lumped together in this line because Health Canada states both have a negative effect on blood cholesterol levels.

Some labels will carry the amount of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats just below the saturated and trans fats. In general, choose foods with lower saturated fat contents. Foods that contain polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are better choices.

Avoid trans fats as much as possible, unless they are the naturally occurring type found in low-fat dairy foods.

Cholesterol:

The amount of cholesterol must be listed, although the per cent daily value is optional.

It is important to note the saturated fats and trans fats in food, not the cholesterol, are the main contributors to elevated levels of blood cholesterol. It is recommended a person should not consume more than 300 mg of dietary cholesterol per day.

Sodium:

Recent studies have shown Canadians consume way too much salt which can lead to heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease.

Health Canada recommends that Canadians do not exceed 2,300 mg per day. This year, the Sodium Working Group, chaired by a representative of Health Canada, is looking at newer guidelines. The group recommends Canadians lower that to 1,500 mg per day.

With these newer numbers on the radar, reading the amount sodium on labels can come as a wake-up call.

Some soups have as much as 1,350 mg of sodium per serving, which is just shy of the new recommendations for the entire day.

Carbohydrates:

The total amount of carbohydrates are listed, followed by fibre and sugars.

There are three different types of carbohydrates: starches, fibre and sugar. The number listed beside carbohydrates represents the total amount of all three. People living with diabetes rely on the total grams of carbohydrates so they can calculate their daily intake.

There isn't a per cent daily value for sugar listed because it isn?t considered a healthy choice, but rather a consideration for long-term health. Try not to exceed 10 teaspoons of added sugar per day.

How do you find out the amount of sugar in your food? Divide the grams listed by four to see how many teaspoons of sugar the product contains. For example, if a serving of cookies, which is usually two, contains 12 grams of sugar then dividing by four will give you three teaspoons of sugar per serving.

Eat six cookies and you're at nine teaspoons of added sugar. Adding a can of pop will send your sugar consumption out of the ball park.

Fibre:

There are two types of fibre -- soluble and insoluble. Most labels only list total fibre. Most of us aren't even close to the recommended 25 to 38 grams per day. Buy packaged foods like crackers, cereal and cereal bars that contain at least two grams per serving, but start aiming for foods that contain four to six grams per serving.

Protein:

According to Canada's Food Guide, the average female should aim for about 150 grams per day, while the average male about 225 grams per day. There isn't a per cent daily value for protein because most Canadians get an adequate amount.

Vitamina A and C, calcium and iron:

These are the only four vitamins and minerals that have to appear on the label. Choose foods that have the highest per cent daily value.

In Canada, most prepackaged foods are required to carry the information by Health Canada. Foods that aren't required to carry a nutrition facts label include:

fresh fruits and vegetables
raw meat, fish and poultry ? excluding ground
foods prepared or processed in a grocery store
coffee
tea
herbs and spices