The Food and Drug Administration knows how much ice cream you eat in one sitting, and is changing nutrition labels to show exactly how many calories there are in that bowl.

The proposed new labels have updated serving sizes — including doubling the ice cream serving size from a half-cup to a cup — and make the number of calories clearer and more prominent.

“They’re going to make the serving sizes a little bit more real,” said Dr. Caroline Apovian, director of Nutrition and Weight Management at Boston Medical Center and a professor at Boston University School of Medicine. “I think it will be helpful, I think it will be more educational for people.”

The new labels are “more user-friendly,” according to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg.

First lady Michelle Obama, who announced the proposed changes with the FDA, said it should be easier to figure out if food is healthy.

“You as a parent and a consumer should be able to walk into your local grocery story, pick up an item off the shelf and be able to tell whether it’s good for your family,” the first lady said.

Cynthia Harriman, director of food and nutrition strategies for the Boston-based healthy food advocate Oldways, said the new labels will make it easier to be health conscious.

“I’ve seen it already in the calories that are being printed in restaurants. It adds to the general consciousness,” she said. “It really will help.”

The FDA will open the proposals up for public comments for 90 days, but a final ruling could take another year and the food industry will likely have two years after that to comply.