The ABCs of Food Labels

As you embark on your fitness and nutrition journey, you’ll quickly discover that what you eat plays an enormous role in reaching your goals. Whether your aim is weight loss, muscle gain, or simply improving your overall health, understanding nutrition labels is a crucial skill. It enables you to make informed food choices, understand the balance of macro and micronutrients in your diet, and make healthier eating decisions.

What to Look for on a Nutrition Label

A nutrition label might seem intimidating at first glance, but it’s simpler than you think. Here’s a breakdown of what you should be looking out for:

• Serving Size: The nutritional information provided is usually based on one serving size. It’s essential to check this as a packet often contains more than one serving, and you may be consuming more calories than you realize.
• Calories: This provides a measure of how much energy you get from a serving of the food. Depending on your fitness goal, you might need to watch your calorie intake.
• Macronutrients: This includes proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Proteins are crucial for muscle repair and growth, fats provide long-term energy and support cell growth, and carbohydrates provide quick energy.
• Micronutrients: These are your vitamins and minerals, which are necessary for various functions in the body, like immunity, bone health, and blood clotting.
• Sugar and Sodium: It’s important to check the amounts of sugar and sodium, as high levels can lead to health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity.

Macro and Micronutrients

Macronutrients and micronutrients form the core components of our diet. While they are both essential for maintaining a healthy body, they serve different functions and are needed in different quantities.

Macronutrients, as their name suggests, are nutrients that the body needs in large amounts. They include proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, and they primarily serve as our body’s source of energy. Each of these macronutrients plays a vital role:

• Proteins: Proteins are comprised of smaller units called amino acids, which are often referred to as the ‘building blocks of life.’ They are crucial for muscle building and recovery after exercise. Beyond muscles, proteins also contribute to the health of our skin, hair, nails, and internal organs. Moreover, certain hormones and enzymes that facilitate essential chemical reactions in the body are also proteins.
• Fats: Fats, often unfairly stigmatized, are essential for our body. They are critical for hormone production and the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). Fats also provide a concentrated source of energy and aid in maintaining body temperature. Furthermore, they are involved in the formation of our brain cells and other cells throughout the body. It’s worth noting that there are healthier fats (like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in avocados, nuts, and fish) and less healthy ones (like trans fats and excessive amounts of saturated fats).
• Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are the body’s primary energy source. They are quickly and efficiently broken down into glucose, the body’s main form of energy. This glucose fuels everything from your brain to your muscles. Carbohydrates also play a role in the health of your gut and the regulation of cholesterol. They come in two main types: simple (found in fruits, milk, and sugar-sweetened beverages) and complex (found in whole grains, legumes, and vegetables).

Micronutrients, on the other hand, are needed in smaller quantities but are no less important for our well-being. Micronutrients encompass a variety of vitamins and minerals, each with a specific role in maintaining our health:

• Vitamins: These are organic compounds that the body needs to grow and develop normally. There are 13 essential vitamins, each with its unique role. For example, vitamin C is needed for the growth and repair of tissues, while vitamin D is essential for healthy bones and teeth. Other vitamins like the B-vitamins are involved in energy production, and Vitamin A is critical for vision and the immune system.
• Minerals: These are inorganic substances also required in small amounts for the body’s proper functioning. Key minerals include calcium for bone health, iron for blood production, potassium for heart and muscle function, and zinc for immune health and wound healing.

Both macronutrients and micronutrients are critical to our overall health, each serving different yet equally important roles. They work together in harmony, ensuring that our bodies function optimally.

The Ingredients List

The Order Matters

On a nutrition label, the order of the ingredients is not random – it’s listed by predominance, with the ingredients used in the greatest amount first, followed in descending order by those in smaller amounts. This principle means that the first few items on the list make up the majority of the food’s content.

For example, if sugar is the first ingredient listed on a cereal box, that cereal predominantly consists of sugar. If whole grain oats are the first ingredient, the cereal is primarily made of whole grains. Understanding the ingredient order can help you steer clear of products heavy in less desirable ingredients like added sugars, unhealthy fats, or unnecessary fillers.

Same Ingredient, Different Names

Another important point is that some ingredients, particularly the less desirable ones, can be listed under various names. For instance, sugar might not always be listed as “sugar”. It can be disguised under names like “high fructose corn syrup”, “dextrose”, “maltose”, or even “organic cane juice”. If you see a long list of these, it’s a good sign the product is high in added sugar.

Similarly, trans fats might be hidden under terms like “partially hydrogenated oils”. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer that some people try to avoid, might appear as “hydrolyzed vegetable protein” or “autolyzed yeast”.

It’s always beneficial to familiarize yourself with these alternate names to make truly informed choices about your food.

Recognizing Additives and Preservatives

Often, you’ll find words in the ingredient list that are hard to pronounce. These are usually additives and preservatives that help prolong shelf life, enhance color, or improve taste. Examples include sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, or tartrazine. While they are approved for use in food, some individuals prefer to limit their consumption of these substances for various reasons, such as food sensitivities or personal preference for more natural foods.

The “Percent Daily Value” Component

Next to the ingredient list, you’ll often find a “percent daily value” (%DV) indication. This shows how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. For instance, if the %DV of sodium in a product is 25%, it means one serving provides a quarter of the recommended daily intake of sodium.

Understanding how to read and interpret the ingredients portion of a nutrition label is an empowering tool. It allows you to choose foods that align with your dietary preferences and health goals. Remember, a shorter ingredient list with recognizable items is often a good sign of a nutritious, minimally processed food.

Making Healthier Eating Decisions

Understanding nutrition labels empowers you to make healthier eating decisions. These are a few things to keep in mind when reviewing food labels.

1. Check the Serving Size: The nutritional information provided on a label is typically for one serving of the product. Be aware of how many servings are in the package, as it can be easy to consume multiple servings without realizing it.
2. Understand Calories: A calorie is a unit of energy. If you’re watching your weight, consider the number of calories per serving. It’s also useful to know that a product with 100 calories per serving is generally considered low-calorie, while 400 or more is high.
3. Limit Added Sugars: Foods with a lot of added sugars can contribute to weight gain, poor nutrition, and tooth decay. Look for sugar on the ingredients list, but be aware it might be listed as corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, fructose, honey, or molasses.
4. Watch Out for Sodium: High sodium intake can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Aim to choose products with less than 5% of the daily value for sodium.
5. Understand Fats: Not all fats are bad. Focus on limiting saturated and trans fats, which can increase your risk of heart disease. Mono- and polyunsaturated fats, found in fish, nuts, and vegetable oils, are healthier choices.
6. Prioritize Fiber: Fiber aids digestion, helps control weight, and can reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Aim to get 25-38 grams of fiber a day.
7. Consider Protein: Protein is essential for body repair and growth. If you’re following a plant-based diet, ensure you’re getting enough protein from a variety of sources.
8. Check the Ingredients List: The ingredients are listed in order of weight, from most to least. If unhealthy ingredients like sugars or saturated fats are listed early, it suggests they make up a large portion of the product.
9. Look at the Nutrient Claims: Terms like “low fat”, “reduced sugar”, or “high fiber” can give you a quick idea of a product’s nutritional benefits, but always check the actual figures on the label to be sure.
10. Check for Allergens: If you have food allergies, always check the allergen information on the food label. Even trace amounts can cause reactions in sensitive individuals.

Remember, the best choice for healthy eating is real, whole foods, but when packaged foods are necessary, understanding food labels can greatly assist in making healthier choices.