I recently had a lake day with some friends and when I mentioned wanting to be involved in picking our snacks at the grocery store, they were surprised that my reason was so I could read the food labels. The idea of caring about the ingredients hadn’t even occurred to them! I’ve been so immersed in the health & wellness world, I sometimes forget that many people don’t realize how powerful being informed about what you’re consuming can be. It’s easy to make small changes to your diet if you start by simply reading the food labels.
Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or dietician. These tips and tricks are a reflection of my experience and journey with eating less processed, real foods. I’m also not going to cover every item on a Nutrition Facts label – I’m simply going to share what I look at when reading the label on a package of food.
It’s really easy when talking about nutrition information to assign labels (no pun intended!) to foods. I’m going to try to not make statements about things being “good” or “bad.” I generally avoid these terms when talking about food because they can trigger disordered eating behaviors. The focus of this post is about being aware of what you’re putting in your body. I’m not going to tell you what you should or should not eat at all! But like any other aspect of life, I want to share how to be more intentional when choosing packaged foods so you’re not doing so blindly.
This post will teach you the basics of food labels so you can better understand what you’re putting in your body. Let’s get started!
Serving Sizes
The first thing to look at when reading a food label is the serving size. Unfortunately, in the US (though there are new standards being rolled out), companies can make this pretty much anything they want. This can majorly change what you’re looking at on the Nutrition Facts section of the label. Some packages that seem to be portioned out are really 2-3.5 times what’s listed! Kombucha that appears to have 8 grams of sugar on first glance is really 2.5 times that in a full bottle. Definitely something to keep in mind – that’s drastically different!
Another thing to remember about serving size is this is not necessarily what you should be eating. Hummus is generally labeled as 2 tablespoon servings. I generally spread that much on toast, but would have 2-4 times that if I’m dipping crackers and veggies in it. Think of it less as a guide for how much you should have and more like the multiplier for the Nutrition Facts based on how much you decide to have.
Nutrition Facts
I’ll break the rest of the label down into sections. First, the Nutrition Facts, which typically include the calories, fats (including types), cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates (and sub-types), protein, and vitamins. This can be a little overwhelming! What’s important? Is this “okay” to eat? Remember – it’s about observing first and knowing what you’re eating more than “good” or “bad.” Here is what I focus on while reading the Nutrition Facts.
Macro-nutrients
Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are called macronutrients. The Nutrition Facts section of the label are required to include how many of each of these a food contains. You need all three and they each serve a different function for your body. Tracking macros is a strategy to reaching certain fitness goals such as fat loss or muscle gains if you eat a certain amount of each of them. They can also simply be a tool.
I loosely keep track of what macros I’m consuming throughout the day. For example, I’ll note that a certain meal or snack was mostly carbs and fats, so I’ll keep in mind getting more protein next meal. I often intend to have meals be a balance of all three macros. I’d pair a lower-fat ground meat (protein source) if choosing full-fat cheese wrapped in tortillas (mostly carbs) and a carby enchilada sauce. For example!
Sugar
One sub-category of carbs is sugar. Some labels also break it down even further to include added sugars. These can be super sneaky additions in packaged foods! Something you don’t think of as really sweet (like pasta sauce, salad dressings, or protein bars) can be LOADED with sugar. I’m always especially vigilant to check labels when choosing yogurt, bottled drinks, and sauces because they can really add up.
Sugar is a great example of something to start observing to gauge how much you’re eating in a typical day and taking small steps to reduce. I try to stay under 45 grams of sugar per day and that has taken some time and quite a few swaps to achieve consistently!
Fiber
The other sub-category of carb listed is Dietary Fiber. This is a super important nutrient in a healthy diet. Our bodies cannot digest fiber, so it plays a unique role. There are an enormous number of health benefits and fiber helps prevent a ton of diseases. It also makes you feel full for longer and keeps things moving through your digestive system. A general target is 25-30 grams per day. This can be challenging with a typical Western diet! Whole grains and fruits & veggies will help you out with fiber.
Ingredients
I consider the ingredients list the main event! It’s kind of amazing what “foods” can be in packaged goods! Long lists of complicated chemical compounds sound more like a science experiment than a recipe. I often look at a food label and think to myself – “WHY did they feel the need to put that in this?” The answer is probably better shelf life, cutting costs while maintaining flavors or textures, making the food appear a certain color, or a number of other tricks. This is typically evidence of how processed foods are.
One aspect to look at is the number of ingredients, keeping in mind what the product is. It totally makes sense for something with lots of spices and components to have a longer list. Soup with three ingredients is probably boring and flavorless. On the other hand, a simple food, like a corn chip or olive oil spray, doesn’t need to have a long list of ingredients to successfully make that food. Some real-food enthusiasts stick to a certain number on the list – such as five or fewer ingredients. I tend to judge it on a case by case basis.
Another element to note is whether or not you can pronounce and understand the ingredients. Does anyone know what dimethylpolysiloxane is? Can you even say the word? If you have no idea what it is, why are you eating it?
Here’s an example of two cooking sprays. One is olive oil with soy lecithin and propellant (what?) added. The other is just avocado oil. Choosing the simple one is an easy swap!
I try to avoid
- High fructose corn syrup
- Partially or fully hydrogenated oils
- Maltodextrin
- Aspartame
- Artificial dyes (like Blue 1, Red 40, etc.)
- Anything I can’t pronounce or don’t understand – things that have chemical names rather than real food names
This list is definitely not inclusive, but these are some good examples of common ingredients I look out for. I do want to add that this doesn’t mean I will refuse to eat something if it’s all that’s available! Sometimes, you’re not in control of the food choices – you just have to do the best you can with what you have in front of you! But when you’re grocery shopping or have options, being aware of what’s in the food you’re choosing can help you make better decisions.
Other resources
Like I said when I started this post, I am not an expert! I’ve read and listened to lots of people talk about this subject and wanted to share what I look at on food labels, but do your own research! Decide what’s important to you when it comes to food. Here are a couple resources that have taught me a lot!
Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? By Dr. Mark Hyman
This book dives deep into what ingredients are and what we’re consuming. Dr. Hyman spells out his recommendations for what to avoid completely, what to pick if given a choice, and why. It’s broken into sections like Poultry & Eggs, Fats & Oils, Sugar and Sweeteners, and Grains. I refer back to my copy all the time. Here’s the book website link.
Simply Real Health
Sarah Adler shares applicable, valuable, simple tips on her blog, in her cookbooks, and through content on Instagram. She has several paid programs and also shares free ones throughout the year that focus on how real food is the basis of an intentional and healthy life. One challenge I participated in last spring included the importance of looking at the ingredient list on food labels. She’s very knowledgable and her outlook gets me excited about the most basic, beautiful foods.
What do YOU focus on when reading a food label?
Is this idea new to you or do you already have the habit of looking at food labels? Do you focus on something different than what I listed? I’d love to hear your perspective!