Nutrition labels can often be confusing and difficult to understand. In most countries, labels on most packaged foods must meet strict requirements, which include nutritional information, ingredients and food additive listings. Beyond that is the marketing spin, so here’s your guide to the key things to look for on your
nutrition labels for food.
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| 9 things to look for on nutrition labels for food |
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You need to be savvy to make sense of what you read on the nutrition labels of food. Don’t be fooled by clever marketing tactics, and beware of products making nutritional claims such as “fat free” or “no added sugar”; it doesn’t necessarily mean a product is healthy. You need to make sure the claims are backed up by the information in the
nutrition panel. Here are some of the common things to look out for to make you feel more confident in what you’re putting in your basket next time you shop.
Look for following on nutrition labels for food
1. Portion control
Do you struggle with portion control issues? Read the serving size before you dive in. This should give you a guide of how much you should be consuming and help you avoid overeating. Unfortunately, there are no standards for serving sizes, which are determined by the manufacturer so can vary significantly from one product to the next. Many brands intentionally
label smaller sizes so nutrition labels make the product seem better. Have you ever seen “just 50 calories” advertised on a bag of chips then realised halfway into eating them there are 10 servings in a packet and you’ve already eaten five? Suddenly the fat content has quickly escalated from 8g to 40g. Ouch! If you need to, just measure out the serving size quickly before you eat.
2. Good fats vs bad fats
If you’re watching your weight, it can be easy to get hung up on fat content, but not all fats are the enemy. It’s more important to look at the types of fat in the product and choose foods with healthier mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (especially products rich in omega-3s, which are heart-healthy and anti-inflammatory).
Saturated fats should be kept at a minimum (less than 25 per cent of total fats) where possible as they can increase “bad” cholesterol and lower the good stuff. Any foods with trans fats, usually found in hydrogenated oils, should be strictly avoided and put back on the shelf. As a rule of thumb, generally choose foods with less than 10g of total fat per 100g.
3. Deciphering ingredients
It can be tricky deciphering an ingredients list, with so many names you didn’t even know existed. All ingredients in a product must be listed on the label in order from largest to smallest by weight. A good place to start is to look at the top five ingredients in a product to tell the true tale of what you’re eating. If sugar and saturated fat-related ingredients feature in the top three, they are best avoided. Be wary of products with hard-to-pronounce ingredients and ingredients with numbers next to them; they are likely to be preservatives or artificial additives. Try to keep it simple usually shorter is better on an ingredients list.
4. Don’t overdo the salt
Sodium tells you how much salt the product contains. Stay away from foods that contain high levels of sodium (foods with less than 400mg per 100g are good, and less than 120mg per 100g is best). High levels of sodium in the diet can lead to high blood pressure and increase your risk of heart disease. A bit of salt is fine, but not too much, especially for people with high blood pressure. Most of our sodium intake comes from salt added to processed foods, so try to keep it as unprocessed as possible. In a healthy diet, the average person should aim for no more than 2300mg of sodium per day, with 1500 the ideal level.
5. Get balanced
Some nutrition labels tell you what percentage of the recommended daily intake (RDI) is provided by one serve of the product. This helps you to work out how the food fits into a balanced diet and is based on the recommended amounts an “average” adult needs by showing you the percentage of energy, nutrients and vitamins of a serving of the product. Next time you’re shopping, use this as an indicator to compare similar products and choose the product with a better nutritional profile that closely matches your needs, whether you’re counting kilojoules or adopting a low-sugar diet.
6. Count those kilojoules
When you’re watching your weight or trying to lose weight, energy is one of the most important things to look for on a food label. Energy refers to the number of calories or kilojoules in the product. To lose weight, you need to eat and drink fewer kilojoules than your body uses, so knowing your energy needs is essential to help you work out how a particular food fits into your daily meal plan.
7. Not all carbs are bad
The low-carbohydrate diet has been around for years and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere any time soon. It’s important to remember that not all carbohydrates are bad; they are the main energy source for most people. As with fats, the types of carbohydrates can make a big difference to your health. For example, complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains and potatoes, which break down more slowly and give you energy for longer, are a much better option than biscuits, chips and crackers, which break down like sugar in the body. Look out for the grams of sugar content under carbohydrates and stick to products with lower sugar content and look for those with complex carbohydrates and whole foods. Fibre is a type of complex carbohydrate. The fibre content of products is extremely important for a healthy lifestyle. Choose foods that contain as much fibre as possible (about 3g and above per serving). High-fibre foods help slow digestion and stabilise blood sugar. This is particularly beneficial for people with diabetes since it helps keep blood glucose levels stable, resulting in more even, sustained energy throughout the day.
8. Hidden sugars
Nutrition labels tell you the total amount of sugar in the product, including naturally occurring and added sugars. Unfortunately, they don’t always tell you the breakdown of naturally occurring sugars. Just because a product is advertised as having no added sugar, it can still be high in natural sugars; for example, fruit juices and concentrates. It’s important to look for the source of sugar in a product and those sneaky added sugars hiding under a different identity on the ingredients list (often ending with an “-ose”, for example glucose, fructose, dextrose, sucrose and maltose). Products with less than 5g of sugar per 100g are considered low in sugar, so these are best for people who are watching their weight, adopting a lowsugar diet, or diabetics.
9. Pure protein
It’s essential to balance carbohydrates with protein in all your daily meals. The average woman needs approximately 46g of protein a day compared to 64g a day for men, to build muscle and repair tissues. Remember, don’t overdo your protein since it can take a long time to digest. Aim for an amount of protein that keeps you satisfied throughout the day and look at the percentage of recommended daily intake with each serving.
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