Following a healthy diet and lifestyle becomes more and more challenging due to the conflicting messages that flood the media. With numerous diets promising weight loss and certain foods becoming demonized, it is difficult to know if you’re making the right choices.
Nutrition is unique to everyone; what’s right for one person may not be for another. But we could all benefit from learning to read food labels effectively. Even if our requirements may vary, we should be conscious of the ingredients we consume.
But when food shopping, most people lack the time to examine the fine print on everything they pick up. It’s much easier to refer to the large print on the front, which is often misleading due to clever marketing strategies that don’t always prioritize our best interests.
Key Takeaways
1. Levels of Food Processing
When categorizing foods, we often split them between fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats, and so on, but what’s less obvious is the level of processing within each category. The NOVA classification system helps distinguish these levels:
- 1Unprocessed or minimally processed foods like fruits, vegetables, eggs, and nuts
- 2Processed culinary ingredients such as oils, butter, and sugar
- 3Processed foods combining ingredients from groups 1 and 2 for preservation, like cured meats and canned vegetables
- 4Ultra-processed foods made from industrial formulations with additives and flavor enhancers, including biscuits, ice cream, energy drinks, and pre-made burgers.
Ultra-processed foods contain the most unnatural ingredients, highlighting the importance of reading their labels the most carefully. 60% of the calories adults consume in the US come from this food group.
It’s time to be curious about the food we’re buying, as we unknowingly consume ingredients that affect our health.
2. Marketing Strategies
Food packaging is covered with buzzwords to make us believe that their product is healthier than it is. The ones I come across the most are low-calorie, low-fat, and multi-grain.
Calories are usually included on the front of the package to show people that, for example, Nature Valley is the best granola bar option due to its low caloric count. However, calories are not the best indicator of health. Something may be under 100 calories yet laced with added sugar and highly processed oils.
I see a lot of products saying they are fat-free, low-fat, or contain 50% less fat. Manufacturers will substitute the fat for added sugar and chemical thickeners. Fat is an essential part of our diet, and full-fat products shouldn't be replaced with low-fat alternatives, as they tend to leave us feeling more satisfied.
Many cereals use the word multi-grain, but what does that mean? This term means the product contains more than one type of grain, but these grains could be highly refined. Try to find products with a high percentage of whole grains.
The next time you see claims of gut-friendly and high-fiber products, be curious instead of taking this information at face value.
3. Get Straight to the Ingredients
What we need to zoom in on is the ingredient list. The Ingredients list is in order of quantity, so the first 3 to 5 ingredients are crucial. If these include corn syrup, oils, and artificial flavorings, the product is likely highly processed, and you may want to find an alternative with more natural ingredients.
It is easy to be deceived by sugar when reading an ingredient list. Sugar goes by multiple names: sucrose, corn syrup, maltose, fructose, malt syrup, and many more. Even if you don't see sugar explicitly listed on the ingredients, be aware that there are over 40 names it could hide under.
A long ingredient may be considered a red flag. The more ingredients, especially unfamiliar ones, the more likely it is a highly processed product with more artificial than natural components.
I am always surprised by how many products contain seed oils like canola and sunflower. These oils are usually highly processed, so check if they are high on any ingredient list.
4. Are Portion Sizes Accurate?
A product serving size is often misleading. It tends to be much smaller than what the average person would consume. For example, not many people weigh out their cereal to exactly 40g (which is not a lot).
Using these serving sizes as a reference point could lead to you unknowingly consuming more calories, saturated fat, or salt.
When comparing products, look at the nutritional information per 100g rather than the serving size.
What Should You Pick up Instead?
Select as many whole food products as possible: fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, beans, and pulses. As most of these products do not contain more than a couple of ingredients, it will mean you won't have to inspect every label thoroughly.
But, if picking up more processed items, just be aware of the front of the package and look at what ingredients the product includes.
If you discover that the things you usually buy contain shocking ingredients, why not see if you can make it at home instead? Or find alternatives with a better ingredient list.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Next time you go food shopping, have at the back of your mind the importance of whole foods, the amount of names sugar goes by and how manufacturers are continuing to trick us into buying their products with their use of word choices. There is nothing wrong with being inquisitive about the food you put into your body.
