Food Label Reading 101
Packaged foods are delicious and they are very convenient to have in the busy lives we all currently lead, but their labels are generally difficult to read! Don’t you agree?
This is why I have broken down the key aspects of a nutritional food panel, pinpointing what you can consider looking at when grocery shopping to feel empowered and to make more informed consumer choices:
Serving size
Energy
Protein
Total fat and its sub-components
Sugars
Dietary fibre
Sodium
I have also included which columns should be focussed on, how to interpret the ingredient list/claims/HSRs on packages, and recognition that certain foods may still be beneficial options despite the specific value they yield.
Serving size
This amount may differ from how much you actually consume depending on your individual requirements/desires. When comparing between brands, use the 100g or 100mL column not the serving size.
Energy
The energy value that the food provides may be shown in the form of kilojoules (kJ) or kilocalories (kcal). 600kJ per serve for a snack or drink can be used as an adequate rough guide, but individual requirements differ.
Protein
The higher the value the better, where using the comparison tool between brands may be helpful when choosing your products.
Total fat
Aim for less than 10g per 100g of total fat, <2g/100g of saturated fat and <1g/100g trans fat (may not always be listed). Some exceptions to this include some cooking oils like olive and canola, cheese, nuts and seeds. It is desirable to focus on consuming products with higher values of unsaturated fats (mono and poly) when compared to saturated/trans fats.
Sugars
Aim for less than 15g/100g generally but an exception could be aiming for <20g/100g for products with fruit listed in the first three ingredients.
Dietary fibre
The higher the value the better. Aim for >3g/serve and >5g/100g.
Sodium
<120mg/100g is most desirable, although there are exceptions for some products, where up to 400mg/100g may be acceptable. Examples include things like breads and crackers.
Other considerations/tips
Ingredients are listed in descending order of weight. If a source of fat (e.g. butter, cream, milk solids), sugar (e.g. corn syrup, fructose, maltodextrin) or salt (e.g. baking powder, sodium, MSG) is listed in the first 3 ingredients, there may be a better choice available.
Be aware of the claims present on the package. Even though a product may state that it has “no added salt”, this does not mean that there isn’t salt already in it. Going back to the aspects of the panel will help to decipher the true nutritional value of the food.
Health star ratings are based on energy (kJ), saturated fat, sodium and sugar content. There are different criteria for different food groups, for example bre,ads and cereals versus dairy products.
Most importantly, look at the individual food product to understand why it may yield more of one of the elements over the others. For example, a nut bar will tend to be higher in energy and fats, and still be a great choice!
Be sure to keep this resource handy when you are next at the shops :)
Allegra x