A 5 Step Framework For Reading Nutrition Labels

Nutrition labels can be confusing, but learning to read them can be empowering!

*Adapted from my upcoming ebook: How to Feel Good

The food industry has made it harder and harder to read labels. They’ve made it harder and harder to understand just what exactly is healthy. So I’m going to lay out some basics that could really help you, especially when comparing two different packaged foods.

1. Opt for less saturated fat. This is controversial to some internet influences and their specific communities (keto, carnivore, paleo) but I believe that saturated fat is strongly linked to the most deadly diseases, cardiovascular and metabolic disease. And you know what? The vast majority of the world’s nutrition scientists and policy makers agree with me. So I opt for less saturated fat. Animal fats are often high in saturated fat (butter, dairy, etc), so avoiding them is best, but you could also get low fat versions of these foods. If you’re eating plant based then the highest saturated fat foods are tropical oils: coconut, palm, and cocoa. So watch out for these in ingredient lists, especially if they’re near the front of the list which means they’re a substantial part of the ingredients. Opt instead for olive, avocado, canola, sunflower, and safflower oil. As I said before, seed oils aren’t bad for us, don’t believe the hype.

2. Opt for less sodium. High sodium intake causes high blood pressure. High blood pressure is linked to heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. Lots of packaged foods have very high amounts of sodium because saltier foods are harder to put down and easier to overeat and that's good for business! Opt for the food that has less sodium.

3. Opt for less added sugar. Added sugar is linked to weight gain, obesity, insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes), heart disease, and tooth decay. It’s just best to get less of it unless you’re an ultramarathon runner. Be wary that even ingredients like ‘apple juice concentrate’ and ‘maple syrup’ are added sugars even if they sound more natural.

4. Opt for more fiber. The more fiber in a food the better it is for you. I’m not afraid to say it, and I think that it’s true 99.9% of the time. Higher fiber content is often an indicator of less processing and more intact whole foods. Just look at the fiber content of brown rice versus white rice. Brown rice has much more fiber! So opt for the food with more fiber.

5. Opt for more (plant) protein. Just like with fiber, higher protein levels in plant foods can be indicative of less processing. This isn’t true of things like protein powders (obviously) but it is true for noodles, grains, and other packaged foods. And like I said, I recommend 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. For me, a 150 lbs person (most of the time), this is about 82 grams of protein. That means I need at least 20 grams per meal if I’m eating four meals a day. So I’ll take what I can get. Opt for more (plant) protein when possible.