Reading a label, and what it does not tell you
Where nutrition numbers come from, the rounding rules that make a zero not a zero, why the same food differs by twenty percent between databases, and how to compare two products honestly.
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Added Sugar on Labels: Total vs Added, and the Arithmetic
Added sugar is not the same as total sugar. This reference explains the label rules, the arithmetic to recover real amounts, and the daily limits from major bodies.
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Are Calorie Labels Accurate? Food Data and Tolerance
Calorie labels use Atwater factors, not bomb calorimetry. Learn the permitted tolerance, rounding rules, and how to recover the real figure from a label.
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Calorie Density: What the Number Per Gram Tells You
Calorie density is kcal per gram, not per serving. Learn how Atwater factors, label rounding, and water content change the figure, and what that means for fullness.
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Cooked vs Raw Weight: Why the Number Changes
Cooked vs raw weight changes the calorie count you look up. Learn the conversions for rice, chicken, and pasta, and one rule for everything else.
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Do You Have to Track Calories Forever?
Tracking is a measuring instrument, not a diet. Its value falls as portions become familiar. Here is the arithmetic, the error bands, and when to stop.
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How Badly People Estimate a Portion
Estimated portions run 20–30% low, and worse for calorie-dense foods. Learn where nutrition numbers come from, how to read them, and why a scale beats guessing.
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How Low Can Carbohydrate or Fat Go: A Reference
Low carb vs low fat: controlled trials show small differences when calories and protein match. Here are the arithmetic floors for fat and carbohydrate.
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How to Read a Food Label: Serving Size, Rounding, and Real Numbers
Serving size, per-100g comparisons, and FDA rounding rules that let a label print zero. Worked arithmetic to recover the real figure.
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How to Track Calories Without Fooling Yourself
Food labels and databases carry known errors. Learn where calorie numbers come from, how to weigh portions, and how to log accurately without fooling yourself.
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Macronutrient Splits: Protein, Fat, Carbohydrate
Macronutrient splits explained: set protein from body weight, fat to a floor, carbohydrate the remainder. Includes worked examples and label arithmetic.
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Why Two Food Databases Give Different Numbers
Food database accuracy varies by source. USDA data, manufacturer labels, and user entries give different numbers for the same food. Here is why and how to read them.