Food Labels: What They Mean And What To Look Out For
If you’re a conscious eater then you will likely find yourself reading the food labels when you’re shopping. Ideally you probably want to avoid processed and packaged food, however sometimes this isn’t realistic. I get it!
Here’s the thing about food labels though:
They are packed with information that sometimes is tricky to decipher in order to help you make a healthy choice!
In this post I’m going to talk about what food labels mean, the information included in them, and what to look out for when you’re reading them.
It’s all about knowing what the information on the food packaging says and making the conscious food choices to set yourself up for success with your diet and nutrition.
Here is a breakdown of what it all means and what to look out for.
Nutrition panel
In Australia, the nutrition panel on the food labels provide information on the average amount of energy (in kilojoules), protein, fat, carbohydrate, sugars, and sodium in the food.
If a product is making a claim, for example, “high in calcium”, this must also be included on the nutrition panel along with the calcium content of the product.
When comparing products always compare them using the 100g panel as the manufacturer decides the serving sizes, which can vary widely between brands.
Ingredients
Foods are listed in the order of the amount contained in the product. If it is listed first it has the most of that ingredient in the product and so on.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates included on the food label include starches as well as sugars.
This includes starch found in foods, such as white, wholemeal, and wholegrain varieties of cereal, bread, rice, and pasta, together with root vegetables and legumes, as well as any sugar or starch that has been added by the manufacturer.
Sugar
Sugar on the nutrition panel will include naturally occurring sugars, such as those found in fruit, as well as added sugar.
Sugar can be added to food for taste, colour, flavour, bulk, texture, fermentation, and preservation.
Added sugar can be listed as an ingredient under many different names. There are over 50 different names for sugar! 😲
Some of these include:
Fructose
High fructose corn syrup
Fruit juice concentrate
Honey
Glucose
Brown sugar
Corn syrup
Corn sweetener
Dextrose
Invert sugar
Lactose
Malt syrup
Maltose
Molasses
Raw sugar
Sucrose
Syrup
Barley malt
Cane sugar
Yellow sugar
Agave nectar
Rice syrup
Cane juice
Caster sugar.
If sugar is listed within the first three ingredients be aware that the product will most likely be high in sugar. Excess sugar can lead to weight gain, blood sugar problems, and an increase risk of heart disease.
Fats
Fats are listed on the nutrition panel as “total fat”.
The total fat is made up of saturated, trans, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.
If the food contains saturated fat, it must be listed separately. Avoid trans fats as they are variants of unsaturated fats, which have been chemically altered to improve their physical characteristics. They are often found in margarine, vegetable shortening, pastries, and is the oil used to deep fry fast foods.
Trans fats have been found to raise bad cholesterol (LDL’s) and increase your risk of heart disease.
Artificial flavours, preservatives, and colourings.
Artificial flavours, preservatives, and colourings will be listed in the ingredient section of the food label.
Artificial flavours are used to alter or intensify the taste of the product. Preservatives are used to help protect against food deterioration caused by micro-organisms. Colourings are used in products to add or restore colour to foods.
These ingredients are associated with numbers and there are so many of them!
Take note of numbers appearing in the list of ingredients. Purchasing a handy pocket book guide or downloading an app to help navigate additives, preservatives and colourings is definitely worthwhile.
The Chemical Maze is a great shopping companion. It works on a smiley face system: happy, neutral, and sad. It is easy to use and understand.
Artificial flavours, preservatives, and colourings may be associated with headaches, allergies, and changes in behaviour.
Sodium or salt
Salt has been used a food preservative and flavour enhancer for a long time! It is included on the food label because high levels of sodium have been linked with high blood pressure and stroke.
Understanding food labels: What is a lot or a little?
Here is a list of nutrients and what is a little and what is a lot per 100g.
NUTRIENT A LOT (per 100g) A LITTLE (per 100g)
Sugar 10 grams 2 grams
Fat 20 grams 3 grams
Fibre 3 grams 0.5 grams
Sodium / salt 0.5 grams 0.1 gram
Why even bother reading food labels?
It’s important to take the time to look at the ingredients and nutrition panel on the food labels to see what is actually included, because there can be lots of hidden surprises! Knowing what ingredients are included in foods is going to help you make changes to your diet and lifestyle for overall health improvements.
Take the time to look (yes the first couple of times it may take longer to do the shopping!) and decide what the best option is because its easy to get caught out, even if you think the food is healthy.
It can also be a good idea to revisit items as companies can change the ingredients at any time.
Need a guiding hand with your food choices or nutrition?
If you're having trouble with your nutrition and would like more guidance and support to help you feel better, BOOK YOUR FREE 10 MINUTE DISCOVERY CALL HERE to chat about how I can help you.
Pam helps women and men prioritise their health and wellbeing.
As a Naturopath, nutritionist and personal trainer she helps them take control of their mental health and various health conditions through natural medicine and healthy lifestyle changes.
She gives realistic ways to help create a happier and healthier life.
When she isn’t running her business, you can find her on the hockey field or creating some delicious food for her husband and kids.