-taken from Self Magazine

The nutrition label on food packaging is about to change. Companies are required to use the new label by July 26, 2018 (manufacturers that make less then $10 million in annual food sales have an extra year).

1. Added sugars will be noted on the label. While many healthy foods have naturally occurring sugar, like fructose and lactose, it’s the extra sugar that is cause for concern. Too much sugar in general can lead to weight gain, blood sugar crashes and other not-so-great effects on the body.

2. Calories and servings are getting bigger and bolder (literally). The font size used to point out calories, serving sizes and servings per container will be larger on the new label.

3. Serving sizes are getting larger to reflect what people actually consume. Serving sizes will change to reflect how much people are actually eating, based on the FDA’s recent food consumption data. This does not reflect the recommended serving size. This also means that the calorie counts on some foods will be larger too.

4. Calories from fat is getting the boot. What really matters is not the total amount of fat, but the type of fat. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated (the good fats), in combination with protein and fiber keep you satiated. Avoid saturated and trans fats.

5. Vitamin D and potassium will be required instead of vitamins A and C. Deficiencies in vitamins A & C are rarely seen among Americans. However, deficiencies in vitamin D and potassium are quite prevalent.  Nutrients will be required to state actual amounts in milligrams instead of just the percentage of your daily recommended intake.