A compact template for saving a food-label comparison
Use a three-part record for source evidence, normalized values and the comparison question, with a worked example.
A useful comparison record needs enough context to reproduce the result later. A product name and a single number are rarely sufficient. Organize your note or spreadsheet into three parts: source evidence, calculation inputs and the question being answered.
Part one: preserve the source
For each product, record a short identifier, full product name, flavor, market, net quantity and date checked. Link a readable package photograph or matching source page. If the source is online, keep its access date separately from any publication or revision date shown there.
The FDA overview of a US nutrition panel helps identify the relevant fields. Your template should preserve those printed fields before adding derived values.
Part two: keep inputs and outputs separate
Create columns for nutrient name, printed amount, nutrient unit, serving weight and food state. Add a separate calculated column for amount per 100 g. Keeping the original quantity intact lets you fix the formula without having to reconstruct the package.
For an invented cracker example, record A as 120 mg sodium per 30 g and B as 180 mg per 60 g. Their calculated concentrations are 400 and 300 mg per 100 g. Add a formula note: printed nutrient amount divided by serving grams, multiplied by 100.
Part three: state the comparison question
Write the question above the result: which example contains less sodium for the same 100 g weight? The answer is B, by 100 mg per 100 g. That is a specific numerical comparison, not a general verdict about which cracker a person should eat.
If you instead compare portions of 30 g A and 60 g B, the amounts are 120 and 180 mg. Record this as a different question with a different basis. Avoid placing both answers under an unlabeled heading such as winner.
Add a status column for verified, unresolved or superseded. A missing nutrient remains empty with an explanatory status rather than becoming zero. When you later replace a product version, preserve the previous row and mark the new one current.
A final review should let another person answer three questions without asking you: which package supplied the numbers, which arithmetic was applied, and which exact comparison the conclusion describes. If any answer is missing, complete the context before sharing the result.