How to read ingredient labels
Have you ever looked at a food package with all the “good marketing” on it professing how healthy the food is?
IF ONLY IT WERE THAT SIMPLE. But unfortunately, you can’t trust everyone and you have to learn how to become your own “food advocate.” What does that mean to be a food advocate? It means that you become accountable for your food in order to make informed decisions for your health. I know, I know. That can be pretty daunting to take on, right? FORTUNATELY, there are soooo many tools that can help you to learn on your journey to reading food labels. And remember - it’s not “all or nothing.” It’s a process where we learn little by little, “precept by precept.” Our knowledge is something to be added upon gradually, like a sunrise or sunset, rather than a drastic change such as turning on/off a light switch. So let’s get you started with those tools to continue supporting your self educated self!
First, I love to look at the nutrition label - where all the calories, fat, protein, sugars are all listed.
Identify the grams of sugar on the label
Identify the grams of protein + fiber on the label
Add grams of protein and fiber together
If the Protein + Fiber grams > Sugar grams, then it is a complex carbohydrate meaning that it is going to digest longer in your system. This is really good if you’re looking for sustained energy, lower gycemic index food, and overall energy sustainability.
If the Sugar grams > Protein + Fiber, then it is a simple carbohydrate/sugar that will blow through your system leaving you with quick energy-quick burnout, and faster cravings for your next meal.
In general, especially with packaged foods, you want to AVOID the latter. I know it’s tempting, but this is just a simple tool to get started in changing your pantry and fridge foods. And as side benefits, you’re avoiding a lot of added and highly processed sugars.
Second, I like to look at the ingredient list - typically at the bottom underneath the nutrient label. This tip takes a little more time to practice as you learn different ingredients the food industry is using and what role they play in the foods. Here are some go-to reminders to get you started:
Make sure you can pronounce all the ingredients - if you can’t pronounce it, then more than likely it is an “extra” that is either not necessary, synthetic, or downright harmful.
Less is more. Ingredients that have more ingredients tend to have more unnecessary ingredients. Choose foods that have [ideally] 5 or less ingredients. . . that you can pronounce!
If you see an ingredient you don’t recognize as a food, LOOK IT UP. Google makes it so easy to ask, “Hey google, what is ___?” And bam. Info that will lead to an answer.
If you’re wanting a little extra help, I love the app Yuka where you can easily scan a barcode of a food package and it will breakdown what harmful ingredients it contains, as well as, an overall summary of it’s nutrient profile with an overall score of how well it rates on a scale of 0 (being terrible) to 100 (being awesome).
Happy food scanning!!! THINK STRONG BE STRONG.
