Reading food labels is important for improving nutrition and saving money. Pay attention to serving size, calories, ingredients, and claims made on the label. Familiarize yourself with regulated label terms and be aware of package size changes.
A lot of interesting and important information can be found on a food label, but some people don’t read food labels or aren’t sure how they should interpret the information on food labels. Learning to read food labels can be an important step in improving nutrition, and it can also save people money, as reading labels can help savvy shoppers make the best nutritional and financial options at the store. In addition to looking at the nutrition information on the label, shoppers should also pay attention to the ingredient list, the claims made on the front of the label, and the amount of food contained in the package.
When people think of reading food labels, they often think of the nutrition label. Nutrition labeling is designed to provide people with basic information about the nutritional content of the food they are buying, so they can make informed decisions. The top of a nutritional level indicates the size of a serving and the number of servings in a package – it is important to pay attention to this, because a serving size may be smaller than expected, especially with high-calorie foods, in those that the manufacturer can reduce the serving size down to avoid having to include a high calorie content per serving.
The nutrition label also lists the number of calories in one serving; As a general rule of thumb, 400 calories is high, 100 calories is moderate, and 40 calories is low. The label specifically discloses the number of calories derived from fat before listing key nutritional content, such as fat, saturated fat, dietary fiber, sugars, and various vitamins and minerals. This content is usually described as a percentage of the daily value, and people should pay attention to the total number of calories the manufacturer is using to calculate the daily value, as some use a base of 2,000 calories and others use a 2,500 calorie basis. . As a general rule, the label of a nutritionally sound item should state that the food is high in fiber, protein, and vitamins, and low in fat, carbohydrates, and sugars.
Beyond looking at the nutrition label, when people read food labels, they should refer to the ingredient list. Some nutrition advocates like to say that if a food label lists an ingredient that you can’t pronounce, it shouldn’t be eaten. While this can be a bit extreme, it’s a good idea to look for food labels that contain mostly familiar ingredients, and to look for labels that don’t list ingredients like sugar first.
It’s also important to pay attention to ingredients to address concerns about food allergies and religious dietary restrictions, as foreign ingredients can show up in surprising places. Consumers who want to read food labels correctly should be aware that package sizes can change, especially when a company wants to increase prices without upsetting consumers. In other words, that family-priced jar of tomato sauce might not hold as much as a consumer, which may mean that the sauce is actually more expensive because consumers get less for the same price, and that the consumer will run into trouble if he or she relies on a family pack size for a recipe.
It’s also important to be aware of the laws surrounding the claims manufacturers can make about their food when people read food labels. Some labels such as “organic” are governed by a specific code, and foods bearing this label must indicate that they have passed inspection. Others, like “natural,” are not regulated by law, which means a company can use that claim whenever they want. For a complete list of food label terms that are regulated by law, individuals can contact the government agency that regulates the production, sale, and safety of food, such as the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture in the United States. .
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