How to Calculate & Make Nutrition Labels

If you like to make your own jams and relishes or baked goods such as cookies and muffins, then you may wish to make your own nutritional labels to apply when you wrap up your food for gifts or for long-term storage. If you have a computer and Internet access, you can easily make your own nutritional labels. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Instructions

1

Write down all the ingredients that you are planning to use in your recipe. Include everything, even salt and spices, since you never know which ingredient might be important to the consumer. Some people are bothered by salt, others by peanuts, and others by white sugar.

2

Measure accurately the amounts you use as you cook. Use measuring cups and spoons and keep your ingredient list handy. Record any modifications you make.

3

Put the exact ingredients and measurements that you recorded into one of the websites listed below. The online calculator will keep a running tab not only of the nutritional analysis but also the calorie count.

4

Cut and paste the final nutritional data box into your home word processing software. Set the page size up to match the size of your labels. Typically labels have a number that you can use to plug in to get the exact margins and size of the label you are using. A 2-inch by 4-inch label is a good size for most packaging.

5

Print the labels on your home printer and affix them to your packaged food. You will now know exactly what is in the food, even months later when you won't remember what was involved. If you give the foods out as gifts, you'll have handy the information you need to avoid interfering with people's allergies.