Become a Pro at Reading Food Labels

lorianna

Apr 17

2 min read

Food labels can sometimes be misleading. Many products make health claims to attract consumers to buy them.

A label stating "natural" or "healthy" doesn't always ensure that the product is actually good for you!

Luckily, once you know the correct techniques, identifying the unhealthy choices from the healthy ones becomes easy.

Here are 4 tips on how to properly read food labels :

Pay attention to the first three ingredients. Ingredients are organized from most to least prevalent, so these initial items will constitute the majority of what you're consuming.
Stay away from difficult-to-pronounce ingredients. If it seems like it belongs in a science textbook, it shouldn’t be in your body.
Avoid long ingredient lists. If the list is excessively long, the food is likely ultra-processed.
Prioritize whole foods. They typically don’t require an ingredients list, which means less uncertainty for you.

Sugar hides behind quite a few sneaky names.

Now let's get to the oils.

Not all oils are made the same. Some oils are superfoods packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids, while others can be detrimental to your health.

Here is a list of oils for you to prioritize vs. avoid.

Here are some other sneaky ingredients to watch out for :

Last but not least, let's talk about Animal Proteins.

Organic animal protein offers greater nutrient density compared to conventional options, and it's also more humane.

Animals raised in factory farms endure unhealthy living conditions and are often given high doses of antibiotics. Therefore, it's best to avoid them.

Here's a another list to help you make better choices:

Grass-fed: Fed only grass during lifetime
Organic: Fed organic feed, outdoor access, no antibiotics or growth hormones
Free range: Hens have outdoor access throughout growth cycle
Pasture raised: Same as free range, but hens get more space
Wild caught: Fish caught from a natural habitat (not raised in tanks)