Decoding Nutrition Labels: What to Look For and Why

Decoding Nutrition Labels: What to Look For and Why

Walk into any grocery store, and you’re instantly bombarded by thousands of colorful packages shouting “healthy,” “low-fat,” “all-natural,” or “good source of protein.” All of this is to make you believe that your favorite foods are actually healthy!  But to truly make informed decisions about which foods fit your health plan, you need to look beyond those claims. The front of a package is marketing, designed to catch your attention so you buy the product. The real story is on the back, spelled out in that black-and-white box called the Nutrition Facts Label.

Okay, that sounds simple…turn the box over and read the label.  The problem is that those nutrition labels can be super confusing when you aren’t clear what you are looking for. Understanding how to read these labels is key to making good choices for your nutritional needs. 

Understanding Food Labels: Why They Matter

Whether you are counting calories, tracking macros, managing your salt or concerned about cholesterol, learning to decode the information on the nutrition label is key. And these labels are important. Think of them as your cheat sheet to understand what’s really in your food. Once you know how to read them, they become a powerful tool. Instead of relying on flashy claims on the front of the boxes, you’ll be able to see exactly what you’re getting inside the box. 

What to Look For on Food Labels: The 5 Essentials


Briefly, here are the five main things to pay attention to on the label:

1. Serving size.

2. Calories. Does it fit into your daily needs?

3 . Fats. Limit saturated fats and avoid trans fats.

4. Carbohydrates. Aim for foods that are high in fiber and low in added sugar.

5. Protein. Does it have enough to keep you satisfied?

Now, let’s dig into each of these five items so you are confident that you are making good decisions for your health goals!

Serving Size: The Starting Point

The very first thing you should check when reading a label is the serving size.

Understanding the amount of food that the entire label is based on is hugely important. You need to know if the information on the label is for the entire package or part of the package. For instance, you could glance at a label and see that there are only 120 calories per serving. But if the serving size is 12 chips and you typically have half the bag (4 servings), then you have just quadrupled everything you are eating. So, instead of 120 calories and 8 grams of saturated fat, you are actually getting 480 calories and 32 grams of saturated fat!

Does that make sense? Always start with serving size and the number of servings per container. This sets the stage for interpreting the rest of the label. Once you have a handle on the serving size and number of servings per container, the other four important components to pay attention to are calories, fats, carbohydrates, and protein. All of these are listed PER SERVING. 

Calories: Energy In, Energy Out

Next, let’s look at calories. At a basic level, calories are simply a measure of energy. If you eat more calories than your body burns, you get weight gain. If you eat fewer calories than your body burns, you get weight loss. The calorie count tells us how much energy is in the serving of food. But, the quality of the calories matters as well, which is why we need to keep reading on! An apple and a cookie may have the same calorie count, but the nutrient value and the impact on our body and health vary wildly between the two. But, knowing the number of calories gives you some information about how much energy the food will give you. 

Fats: What to Watch For

The third thing we want to look at on the nutrition label is fats. This can look confusing because there are different types of fats listed, and they each have a different impact on our bodies. Nutrition labels usually list saturated fat, which is the fat that has historically been connected with heart disease and cholesterol. We want to keep this low, preferably under 2g per serving. 

The labels also list trans fat. This is the fat that we want to avoid! But, even when the label says 0g/serving, check the ingredient list for “partially hydrogenated oils”, which is an indication that there are hidden trans fats.

Unsaturated fats, which are not usually on the labels, are the fats that our bodies need to function well. These fats are found in nuts, olives, avocados, olive oil, salmon, and other fatty fish. Even though these are not listed, you can estimate the amount of unsaturated fats by subtracting the grams of saturated fat and trans fat from the total grams of fat. 

Again, knowing the amount of fat per serving can help you decide if this is a food that fits into your overall health goals. 


Understanding Carbohydrates on Food Labels


Next, let’s focus on carbohydrates. On these labels, carbs can be confusing because the total carbohydrates actually includes three kinds of carbohydrates, and they are all different. When you look at total carbohydrates, be aware that this number includes three types of carbohydrates - starch, sugars and fiber. Remember, carbohydrates are the energy source for our cells, but not all carbs are equal. There are simple carbs and complex carbs, and, unless we are running a marathon or prepping for a hard workout, we want to get the majority of our energy from complex carbs. These are listed as Starches and Fiber on the nutrition label. Starches are complex carbs that our bodies break down into glucose for energy; fiber is indigestible and helps to keep our digestion running smoothly. Starch and fiber can be found in many of the same foods, including whole grains, vegetables and fruits. These foods are slower to move through the digestive tract, so they keep us feeling fuller for longer. 

The third carbohydrate that is included in the total carbohydrate number is listed as total sugars and added sugars. This can get a little tricky because many healthy foods contain natural sugars. For example, milk has lactose and fruit has fructose. But, for most of us, we don’t want to avoid these foods and miss out on all of the other nutrients in them simply because of those sugars. When looking to limit sugar, added sugars are the ones to pay attention to.

Protein: Staying Satisfied and Building Muscle

Lastly, let’s look at Protein. There has been a lot of focus on protein recently because it is the building block of muscle. And we are all aware of the benefits to muscle, right? We can’t build or maintain muscle without protein. Additionally, protein keeps us satisfied, which can help prevent overeating. If you notice that a snack has tons of carbs but not much protein, chances are you’ll feel hungry again pretty quickly. When looking at labels, look for snacks with 10-15 grams of protein, and meals should have around 30 grams of protein.

Okay, those are the top five things to pay attention to on these labels. But there are a couple of other things that you may want to keep in mind. One is the % Daily Value. If you are looking for a quick way to decide about a food, you can check out the column of percentages down the right-hand side of the label. This shows the % Daily Value, which means how much a nutrient contributes to your daily needs. However, always take this value with a grain of salt (haha) as it is based on a 2,000 calorie diet, which does not apply to everyone. But, if you keep that in mind and adjust for your diet, this column can give you a quick way to decide if that food fits into your goals. For example, if you are wanting to limit sugar, seeing that a bowl of cereal has 25% DV for added sugars should give you pause! 

You might also want to glance at sodium, especially for packaged meals. A general guideline is to limit sodium to less than 2,300 mg per day, with 5% DV or less per serving considered low and 20% DV or more considered high. Remember to pay attention to the serving size!

What to Look For on Food Labels for Specific Health Goals

For those who are looking to understand these nutritional labels for specific health goals, here are some quick guidelines:

Goal: Lower Cholesterol

  • Look at saturated fat and aim to keep it under 10% of your daily calories

  • Avoid all trans fats! The label should say “0g” trans fat. Remember to look at the ingredient list for “partially hydrogenated oil” as well. This is another name for trans fats!

  • Look for foods that are high in fiber (listed under carbohydrates)

  • Choose lean proteins and plant-based fats.

Goal: Lose Weight

  • Pay attention to portion size and total calories.

  • Choose foods with more protein and fiber as they will keep you full.

  • Limit added sugars, which are empty calories.

Goal: Overall Health

  • Read the nutritional label for information and try not to be rigid.

  • Look for balance, but focus on protein, healthy fats, and fiber.

  • Recognize the big picture and your particular needs. Choose foods that fit your lifestyle and needs for that day.

When working with my health coaching clients, in addition to helping them understand food labels, I often urge them to avoid foods with labels altogether. This means they are better off sticking with whole foods like meats and fish, vegetables, fruits, eggs, nuts, and seeds, and they are avoiding processed foods. Shopping the perimeter of the grocery store makes this easier. If they are buying processed foods, I urge them to choose foods that have at most 5 ingredients, and to avoid foods that have added sugar as one of those ingredients (which can have sneaky names like maltose, dextrose, cane syrup, or fruit juice concentrate)

I know that nutrition labels can look intimidating, and that this can feel like a lot of information to process.  But once you get the hang of it, reading nutritional labels will give you a solid understanding of what you are putting in your body. Just remember to start with serving size, then check calories, and then focus on the big players: fats, carbs (especially fiber and sugar), and protein. No single food will make or break your health, but having a fuller understanding of what is in the foods you are eating will help you feel empowered each day and, therefore, give you an edge in choosing foods that match your health goals!.

 

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