How to Read Food Labels: Understanding Nutritional Information
Every food product you can buy has a food label, but many of us don’t take the time to read the information it provides. Understanding food labels can help us make informed decisions about the foods we buy and make sure we're eating as healthily as possible.
In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at food labels and learn to interpret the important information they contain.
Understanding What Food Labels Say
Food labels can look overwhelming at first. But they all conform to the same basic structure, and the important points are usually easy to spot. Here's a breakdown of the information they can provide:
- Serving size – The amount of food in a single serving and how many servings are in a product.
- Calories – The amount of energy available for use in a single serving.
- Macronutrients – The main nutrients in a product, including proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
- Vitamins and Minerals – Nutrients that are essential for good health, like vitamin C and iron.
- Added Ingredients – Extra ingredients that have been added to the food, like sugar or preservatives.
It can also be useful to check the country of origin, best before date, and allergen information, so you can make sure you’re buying food that is safe to eat.
Reading the Calories on a Food Label
Food labels typically list the number of calories per serving of food. This is a measure of the energy a food will provide when eaten. It’s important to remember that calories from different sources can provide different levels of energy; for example, the calorie content of carbohydrates is generally lower than that of fats.
It’s also important to think about the calories in a full serving of the food, as well as in a single portion. Many snacks, for example, are actually two servings, so if you eat the whole package you’ll be consuming double the amount of calories listed.
Examining Macronutrients
The macronutrients are the proteins, fats, and carbohydrates that provide energy, help form muscles, and aid in cellular processes. Each food label will have a breakdown of the macronutrients in a single serving of the food.
Proteins and carbohydrates both provide 4 calories per gram, while fat provides 9 calories per gram. Depending on your diet and fitness goals, you may want to adjust the amount of each macronutrient in your diet. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight, you may want to eat fewer calories from fat, which will provide a larger energy boost than from carbohydrates or protein.
Looking for Added Ingredients
Food labels will also list any extra ingredients added to a food. These can be things like preservatives, artificial colors, or added sugars. It’s important to check the list of added ingredients in processed foods, as these can often be high in unhealthy ingredients such as trans fats or sugar.
It’s also worth checking for added vitamins and minerals, which may make a food appear more nutritious than it is. For example, a breakfast cereal may be fortified with added vitamins, but if the cereal is high in sugar, the added vitamins won’t make it a healthy choice.
Spotting the Healthier Option
Once you’ve taken the time to read a food label, it becomes much easier to compare different foods and spot the healthier option. For example, look for items that are higher in proteins and micronutrients, and lower in sugars, fats, and artificial additives.
It’s also important to think about portion size when choosing healthy options. Even if a food is healthy, if you eat too much of it you may still consume too many calories or too many macronutrients.
Putting It All Together
Reading food labels is one of the most important steps in making sure you’re eating as healthily as possible. By understanding the information on food labels, you can make informed decisions about which foods to buy, how much to eat, and how to spot healthier options.
It may seem like a lot of information, but all of the important points are easy to spot when you get used to reading food labels. Take the time to really study the ingredients and nutritional information, and you’ll soon be able to make healthy choices with ease.