The top chef at renowned fast food eatery Slutty Vegan joined News 12 to help break down nutrition labels for National Nutrition Month.  

Chef Jomoke Jackson says that the best place to start is at the serving size, as it tells you how much of the product the manufacturer is basing the numbers off of.  

“A lot of us eat more than the serving size or a lot less than the serving size,” said Jackson. “The next thing you want to look at is the calories. That’s going to tell you how much per the serving size that they suggested.” 

Jackson says that sugars are another key component to watch for.  

“Anywhere it says added sugars is not a great thing,” said Jackson. “Over 5% is bad.” 

Jackson says that sugary cereals are often the culprit when it comes to high sugar intake in people’s diets. Healthier cereals are out there that don’t use as much sugar, but other breakfast options help as well.  

When looking for starches, Jackson says to opt for whole grains, especially when choosing your breads.  

“With whole grains, you want the totality of what that nutrient has available,” said Jackson. “They’ll break down nutrients for various reasons… for sustainability, preservatives, things like that.”