Learning about what’s in the food we eat is an important part of our health journey. This process can feel overwhelming and complicated, leading us to only look for information like calories or labels on the front of packages such as “no sugar added” or “organic.” 

While that’s better than nothing, there are other parts of the packaging we can look at that will give us more information without too much complication. 

One of the first things I do when I’m looking at a package of food is flip it over to the back. While there are a lot of labels on the front, those are there for the purpose of marketing and getting you to purchase, rather than giving accurate information about the product. 

Labels on the front like “no sugar added” or “part of a healthy diet” don’t have as much nutritional accuracy as what you will find on the back of the package, so it’s important we don’t solely rely on the labels on the front.

The next thing I look for is the protein content of the food. Most of us don’t consume enough protein each day, so it’s good to get in the habit of checking how many grams of protein are in the foods we are eating. On the label, it will tell you how many grams of protein are in one serving of the product. 

Multiplying that by the number of servings, or total amount, you will actually eat will help you calculate how much protein that food is providing in your meal. 

Sugar is always a hot topic, and it’s important we are aware of how much of it is in our foods as well. There are many different lines on the nutrition label that give information about sugar, so it’s important we look at the ones that tell the whole story. 

First, you will see total carbohydrates. Next, you’ll see a line for grams of fiber, followed by total sugars, and finally added sugars. Total carbohydrates is the sum of all of the other lines. Instead of looking only at this line, it’s important to note how many grams of fiber are included, as fiber is a very important part of keeping our digestive system healthy. 

We also want to look at how many grams of added sugar the food contains, as this is sugar that doesn’t come from the main ingredients of the food, but is added afterward. Higher numbers in the fiber line isn’t something to worry about, where higher numbers in the added sugar line should catch your attention, and maybe encourage you to look for an alternative. 

Lastly, the ingredients list can provide you with a lot of great information about what makes up the food you are purchasing. Ingredients are listed in order of highest amount to lowest, meaning whatever is first is what the product is mostly made of. 

If you notice a type of sugar as the first ingredient, it may be worthwhile to find a similar product that doesn’t have sugar as the first ingredient. 

If you are concerned about allergens or are, for example, experimenting with cutting out gluten or dairy, you’ll easily find if the product contains these ingredients at the bottom of the list. Under the ingredients section, it says “contains.” 

This is where you can easily see if the food you are looking to purchase contains any ingredients that may not fit well into your desired diet. 

Reading food labels is a skill that takes time and practice to learn. Starting with these three components will get you well on your way, giving you the opportunity to learn more as you see fit.