How do I read nutrition labels?

This is another good question. Being able to read these labels does include some math and translation of those scientific names of ingredients.

The math:
Fat, Protein, Carbs and Alcohol all have the following calories per gram (or in the case of the Alcohol per ml)
Fat : 9 kcal
Protein : 4 kcal
Carbs : 4 kcal
Alcohol : 7 kcal

So if something says it has, for example, 150 calories per serving and 10g of fat, 6g of protein and 9g of carbs.

10 x 9 = 90 kcals from fat.

6 x 4 = 24 kcals from protein.

9 x 4 = 36 kcals from carbs.

So if this were a real product, if the fat were saturated or trans fat it would not be something healthy you consume.

Types of fat:

Saturated, this is a perserving fat used to extend the shelf life of products.

Transfat, alot of snack foods like chips, cookies and some crackers have this in varying ammounts. This is horrible on your body, and should be avoided or atleast very limited in your diet.

Poly-unsaturated, This is good fat that is not usually found in the North American diet. These are the Omega Fats, like Omega 3, 6 and 9 these are awesome for your brain and heart. Usually found in fish oils.

Mono-unsaturated. Another good fat that is found in nuts and avocados.

Any ingredient that ends with ous. Like fructous, dextrous and alike. This is a fancy name for sugar. Unless it is sugar from fruits or veggies it should really be consumed in very limited ammounts.

I do hope this helps you figure out the labels on food a little easier.