3 Things I Check First on the Nutrition Label, According to a Dietitian
Nutrition labels feature a lot of info, but you don’t have to look at it all. I work faster and smarter by looking at these key pieces.
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Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD
What type of grocery store shopper are you? I’m the one lingering in the produce section, letting my eyes dictate what I put in my cart. After admiring the fruits and vegetables, I become all business as I turn the corner and head for the aisles. That’s because I’m also the shopper who takes nutrition label reading seriously—but in a good way! I typically glance at the entire label first, but then focus on three specific parts:
Saturated fat
Fiber
Added sugar
Why those? Well, while it’s true that I’m a registered dietitian, I’m also a chef, mom and fitness instructor. Just like you, my life is busy and I need to be able to fuel myself and my family for success. Does that mean I’m always serving apple slices and peanut butter or roasted salmon and asparagus? No! It simply means that the overarching theme of the way I feed my family can be summed up with one word: nourishing. For us, that involves eating a variety of foods, mostly plants, and then enjoying other foods, too. We’re an “all-foods-fit” family, but I do have goals in mind for the packaged foods I buy.
Reading the Nutrition Label
I’ve spent more time than anyone should (it’s my job!) looking at the Nutrition Facts panel on packaged foods. I’ve even taught patients and clients how to use it. The funny thing about the label is that most people aren’t using it to their advantage. Many people quickly glance at the calories, but that’s not sufficient info for making a decision. You don’t need to spend a copious amount of time reading it either. Instead, find the information that’s important to you (and your family or health conditions), and use that to help guide your decision.
Personally, I don’t care much about calories or total fat. Mostly because those numbers don’t tell me what’s important. What I really want to know is where those numbers are coming from, which is why I always look at grams of saturated fat, fiber and added sugar. Along with the ingredient list, these are the pieces of info that help me make my decisions. Here’s why.
Saturated Fat
“Total fat” on the label is the sum of the saturated fat and unsaturated fats in the food. Saturated fat can have a negative effect on our health. It’s the type of fat that may cause cholesterol to build up and clog your arteries. I use the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendation of consuming 10% or less of my daily calories from saturated fat (that’s about 22 grams per day assuming a 2,000-calorie eating pattern, which is what the Nutrition Facts label is based on).
I use that information not to count my daily intake but as a guide for shopping. If a product’s saturated fat is high, I’ll look at the ingredient list to see why. If it’s butter or ground beef, I’ll know it’s because saturated fat is naturally found in these foods. If it’s crackers or chips or something else, I’ll want to see what was added or used to make the saturated fat so high. If the saturated fat is too high or I don’t like the ingredients in the food, I’ll put the product back on the shelf.
Fiber
I’m a bit of a fiber-fanatic, but I’m OK with that. I love that the nutrient plays many important roles when it comes to our well-being, including supporting gut and heart health and helping us feel satisfied. It’s one of the reasons I spend a lot of time in the produce aisle and why I end up grabbing bags of beans and whole grains. For snacks, cereals and other prepared foods, I’ll look at the label. If possible, I try to select something with at least 2 grams of fiber per serving.
This strategy also helps when choosing one bread over another. Just pay attention to portion sizes so that you’re comparing the same amounts of the food. The ingredient list comes in handy here, too. If the fiber content is low or unusually high (like if it’s a yogurt, which typically wouldn’t contain a lot of fiber), I can refer to the ingredients list and find out why. Manufacturers may add fiber to foods that isn’t normally there. Sometimes that’s OK, but these added fibers can also cause unpleasant side effects, such as bloating and gas.
Added Sugar
I love sweets—pie, cake, cookies, ice cream, candy—you name it! I also frequently enjoy those foods. I know that too much sugar can have a negative impact on health, so I take that awareness with me when I go to the store. Added sugars show up in places you wouldn’t expect, like bread, crackers and even salsa. I don’t need those foods to be sweetened with added sugar. When I have sugars, I’d like to enjoy them as sweets.
That’s why when I buy packaged food, I'll look at the grams of added sugar (meaning sugar that’s not naturally present in the food). The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming less than 10% of your daily calories as added sugar each day. That’s about 12 teaspoons, or 50 grams of sugar, on a 2,000-calorie eating plan, notes the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
If You Have a Health Condition
Saturated fat and added sugars, if consumed excessively, are detrimental to your health—medical condition or not. If you are followed closely by a medical team for a health condition, speak with them first and ask if there are any special considerations you need to make when deciding how much saturated fat, fiber or added sugars to consume. It also can be worthwhile to connect with a registered dietitian to create an eating pattern that works for you.
Bottom Line
Shop smarter by using product packaging, specifically the nutrition label and ingredient list, for guiding your purchases. Keep things easy by looking at saturated fat, added sugar and fiber and use the ingredient list to take the guesswork out of what you’re buying. Then, don’t forget to enjoy all of those delicious finds.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
