How to read nutrition labels - what actually matters?
Just started paying attention to nutrition labels and I'm overwhelmed. There's SO much information. What should I actually be looking at? What can I ignore?
In order of importance:
- Serving size — everything else is meaningless if you don't know this. A bag of chips might say 150 cal but the bag has 8 servings.
- Calories — for weight management
- Protein — most people need more
- Fiber — most people need more
- Added sugar — most people need less
- Sodium — if you have blood pressure concerns
Ignore: percent daily values (unless you know your actual needs), most micronutrient numbers on labels (they're incomplete anyway).
The ingredient list is underrated. If sugar (in any of its 50+ names) is in the first 3 ingredients, put it back. If the list is longer than 10 items, it's probably highly processed.
BIG one: check the serving size vs how much you actually eat. A jar of pasta sauce might say "1/4 cup" serving but most people use half the jar. Multiply everything accordingly.
Added sugar is the one I watch most. Natural sugar in fruit is fine. Added sugar in basically everything packaged is the problem. The new labels that distinguish total vs added sugar are great.
Fiber! If a "whole grain" product has less than 3g of fiber per serving, it's barely whole grain. Real whole grain products have 4-8g+ per serving.
This is incredibly helpful. I've been staring at labels trying to understand everything. Good to know I can focus on just a few key numbers. Thanks!
Pro tip: get a food tracking app and scan the barcode instead of trying to read and remember labels. The app does the math for you.
If you have food allergies/intolerances, the allergen section at the bottom is critical. But for general health, focus on what @MacroMaven said.