Food Label Literacy

I could easily do an entire presentation on this topic, but for now I’ll point out a couple major things that may help clear some confusion and that you can quickly use if you’re in the store trying to make a decision.

First of all, if you really want to know the best way to analyze a label on a food product, go straight to the i̲n̲g̲r̲e̲d̲i̲e̲n̲t̲ ̲l̲i̲s̲t̲. By FDA regulation, ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight. This will give you the best picture of what the food is composed of (because sometimes it is surprising if you look at nutrition labels often). You cannot only go by the appearance of the front of the package or the claims it may be making.

Second, be aware of 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑖𝑠! This is important because the values presented on the nutrition facts (macronutrients, %DV, etc) are dependent on the serving size. This can get tricky very quickly if you aren’t aware of this factor. For example, you may see a value of 0g or 0% saturated fat or cholesterol even if there are ingredients in it that absolutely have saturated fat and/or cholesterol in them, however it is allowed to have a value of 0 on the label if the amount in the “serving size” is below a certain number. Additionally, in many cases, people will consume a far greater amount than ONE specified serving size. Think 2 tablespoons of salsa, 3 olives, or 1/2 cup of ice cream as examples.

In my photos this is demonstrated with a can of cooking oil spray – the product is oil which is straight fat – yet the label shows 0g because the serving amount is 1/5 of a second of a spray!

Another label I’ve shown is a cracker that when looking at the front of the package may seem to be a relatively healthy product with oats, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and cranberries. What is the first ingredient though? Buttermilk! Who would’ve guessed…

The third product is just an example of the many “healthy” granolas, cereals, and similar breakfast/grain-based snack type items that manufacturers love to proclaim as healthy in some way. I’ve spent a great deal of time inspecting labels of just about every product and especially new ones that come out and there are almost none in this category without excessive added sugar and/or oil, not to mention processed refined grains that are in no way a health food. I’ve found the same with the multitude of energy/meal/protein/breakfast bars filling the shelves in those sections.

To recap, if you are trying to be mindful of what you’re eating, take a moment to at least check the ingredient list and glance at the serving size on the label if it’s relevant. You might be surprised what you start to learn. It’s good knowledge to have!

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