Can you use the information on a food label to help you lose weight? Absolutely.


While it may take a little extra time to check out the Nutrition Facts Panel, it can provide you with valuable information.


To lose weight, you need to reduce the total number of calories that you consume daily and/or increase the amount of calories your body expends through physical activity. Food labels can provide you with the calorie values of food.


So the first thing to do is to look at the serving size on the label. All of the information that follows is for that specific quantity only. If the serving size for a pint of ice cream is a 1/2 cup, the calorie listing is for that amount only.


On the next line, it will tell you how many servings are in the container. In the pint of ice cream, there are four servings per container, because a pint contains 2 cups.


Few people will consume a 1/2-cup portion of ice cream. That's the equivalent of small individual Dixie cups given out at kids' birthday parties. The calorie value per serving will generally need to be doubled or tripled to equal a bowl of ice cream.

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