How to Read a Nutrition Label

It's easy. It's important. Yet Big Food doesn't want you to do it.

The majority of large food companies design packaging with bright colors and misleading messages to distract consumers from reading the nutrition label. For example, the word “natural” is often found on packaging, but the ingredients list can still contain fillers, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, MSG, and way too much sugar. Companies use these ingredients because they have a longer shelf life and are cheaper than real ingredients. And here's the most interesting part: Did you know that scientists are hired by food companies to determine the perfect combination of sugar, fat, and salt to include in a product so that your body craves it? Unfortunately, it usually comes down to profit, not your health.

Knowing how to read the label is important so that 1) you know what you’re eating (real food vs ingredients that are harmful to your body), and 2) you and your children can identify foods that are safe to eat based on potential allergens.

Once you learn how to read a label, it will become second nature.

Let's look at a nutrition label from a box of organic strawberry oatmeal.

Start with the ingredients list

In our home, when we buy a processed food, the first thing we do is look at the INGREDIENTS list, which is usually below the nutrition information (near the bottom). We check for the following:

• Allergens: For us, one allergen is any ingredient related to milk, such as casein, whey, butter, and of course, milk. The label is helpful in that it lists main allergens below the INGREDIENTS list, so we glance there first, but we also read the actual INGREDIENTS list to be sure. Sydney learned how to read a label when she was six years old so that she could check ingredients on her own. Your child will feel empowered when they learn to do this!

• Number of ingredients: A short list is best. The sample INGREDIENTS list on this label contains six ingredients. When a manufacturer uses more than ~10 ingredients, we begin to question whether it's actually food or what our family refers to as "Fake Food."

• Do you recognize each ingredient name? This list contains recognizable items such as "organic rolled oats" and "organic cream." One ingredient that can be tricky is "natural flavor." Sometimes it's truly natural, and sometimes natural flavor can mask the presence of monosodium glutamate (MSG), an excitotoxin (causes nerve cells to die). It's important to research this further, especially if it's a product that you consume regularly. Another hint is, if you can't pronounce the ingredient, it's probably a good idea to research further.

• Order of ingredients: Whatever is listed first is the most prevalent ingredient. This gives you a general idea as to how much of an ingredient is contained in the product.

Let's take a quick look at another label:

Wow. Talk about overwhelming! This is a long list (26 items, to be exact). I'll point out a few red flags: monosodium glutamate/MSG (mentioned above), artificial flavor (potential carcinogen), dextrose (refined sweetener made from corn), and artificial colors (excitotoxins). I'm willing to bet you've had these at least once. (Keep reading if you want to know what this is.)

Serving size

A package often contains more than one serving. For example, at the top of the oatmeal label, it reads "8 servings per container."

When you review the nutrition information, make sure it reflects how much you are actually eating. For example, if you buy a bag of chips, do you really eat 9 chips, or 38??

The label also contains the number of calories. You can eat the same number of calories in two different foods (chips vs broccoli), but how the body processes each is quite different. The industry should stop focusing on calorie intake. Here, we're encouraging you to consider the rest of the label instead.

Nutrition Facts

Here are some general guidelines. If you have a disease such as type 2 diabetes, please consult your doctor for further guidance.

For all items listed, the % Daily Value is provided—the percentage of fat, cholesterol, sodium, etc. in one serving. The FDA developed these guidelines.

Be mindful of the amount of total fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar in a serving. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of sugar for a woman and 36 grams (9 teaspoons) of sugar for a man per day, which implies even less for a child. This particular label indicates that one serving has a total of 12 grams of sugar, which is essentially half of what a woman should have in an entire day. This is the total amount of sugar, although this includes 11 grams of added sugar, which is really the number you want to watch. In general, it is best to have less than 6 grams of sugar at any meal. This is a great example of a product that is organic but still high in sugar...another reason not to be fooled by the front of the package.

For protein and fiber, a serving should contain at least 3 grams of each.

The amount of vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium is also provided.

Final thoughts

Reading the label on any processed food is a key component to making healthy choices. Remember, once you learn how to read labels, it will become a habit. To get your children involved, bring them with you when you shop and have them tell you what they think of the ingredients list on a healthier processed food vs one that is obviously not healthy.

The ingredients list on the label is the key to whether to buy or not to buy a product. Avoid:

• Artificial colors, flavors & preservatives

• Trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils)

• High fructose corn syrup

• MSG or similar products (eg, autolyzed yeast, yeast extract)

• Too much sugar (women: <24 gms/day; men: <36 gms/day)

If you're unsure about a product, google the product name. The Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) is one great source; Dr. Axe (https://draxe.com/nutrition/) is another. Remember: eating whole foods such as fruits and vegetables is always your best choice.

Were you wondering about the list above with the excessive number of ingredients? Do you want to guess?

Doritos.