How to read Food Labels

Do you know how to read a food label?

It can seem like quite a daunting task when you first look at a food label.  There's A LOT of information packed into a very small space!

STEP 1:  INGREDIENTS

The first thing to do is check the ingredients.  They are generally listed in the order of their amount in the product, from greatest amount to smallest amount.  So, I usually pay attention to the first 3 ingredients on the list because they make up the bulk of what I'm going to buy.

I avoid foods that list sugar or salt as one of the first 3 ingredients.  I also avoid foods where I don't recognise the names of the ingredients.  If you see long chemical names or strings of letters and numbers - these are usually additives / preservatives / colourants / stabilisers and unnatural compounds that are probably not good for you.

FOOD LABEL

STEP 2:  BAD STUFF

Be on the look-out for stuff you know you should limit like simple carbohydrates, sugars, salt and bad fats.

Here are a few tips:

Carbohydrates:  Total carbohydrates should preferably not make up more than 50% of the food if you are planning to have a large serving. So... if carbs make up more than 50g in every 100g of the product... consider an alternative.

Sugar: Try not to buy products with more than 10g sugar per 100g. Unless the food is very healthful like fruit.

Fat:  Fat is not bad! But, look for the type of fat in the food. AVOID foods that contain TRANS FATS at all costs. And try to limit foods that have higher amounts of saturated fat compared to unsaturated fat.

Sodium: Remember that your total daily sodium intake should ideally be around 2000mg or less... so try not to buy high-salt foods.

STEP 3:  GOOD STUFF

Then, think about what BENEFIT you will get from eating the product you plan to buy.  If it contains healthy ingredients like vegetables, unrefined grains, good-quality proteins and healthy fats... then you know your body will be glad you bought it.

All food that we eat should benefit us in some way. For the number of calories you are eating, you should get some protein, vitamins, minerals and fibre to make the calories worthwhile.

Fibre is probably of greatest importance... you should aim to get 40g or more fibre per day. Generally, high-fibre foods are also higher in minerals and healthful vitamins. So, if you get your daily quota of fibre… you are likely not going to lack essential vitamins.

STEP 4:  SERVING SIZE

Look at the size of a serving: For most snack foods you will find the serving size to be much smaller than you expect... many people will happily guzzle an entire packet of crisps when the suggested serving size is 10-15 chips!

If the nutrition label displays information for a single serving and you eat the equivalent of 4 servings, then you naturally need to multiply all the nutritional values by a factor of 4. If the label shows totals for the whole pack and you eat 1/3 of the pack, then you divide by 3... you get the idea.

 

Make it a habit to read a couple of food labels each time you go to the store.   You will become efficient and slick at analysing them, and you will get to know the products you buy often.  Reading food labels empowers you with information to make better food choices.  If you buy healthy food, you will eat healthy food.