As a registered dietitian and health educator, I taught my patients, clients, and readers how and why they should read the food label. For many years, my emphasis had been on the Nutrition Facts Label, which included portion size, calories, the macronutrients like carbohydrate, dietary fiber, protein, and fat, and micronutrients like sodium as well as the % Daily Value (%DV) for many nutrients based on a 2000-calorie diet.
But, under the Make America Healthy Again agenda, we now know the ingredient list should be prioritized for you and your families’ long-term health as well as protein, dietary fiber, and sugar. Become an ingredient investigator and eat less of the foods that contain unhealthy food ingredients and additives.
Reading Food Ingredient Labels Are Necessary for Your Long-Term Health
Jumpstart your health by reading food ingredient labels, which is important for several reasons related to health, safety, and making informed choices because:
- It Helps You Make Healthier Choices.
- You can compare products and choose ones with less sugar, saturated fat, or sodium.
- Allows you to pick items with healthier ingredients like whole grains, healthy oils, and fewer additives.
- It helps you prioritize the Main Ingredients in the Food Item.
- Ingredients are listed by weight – the first ingredient is the most abundant. Example: If sugar is first, it means it’s the main ingredient.
- This helps you judge how nutritious the product is.
- It Helps You to Avoid Harmful Ingredients.
- Some processed foods include trans fats, high-fructose corn syrup, or artificial additives that may negatively affect your health.
- Sugar can go by many names:
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Cane juice
- Dextrose, maltose, sucrose, fructose
- Honey, agave nectar, molasses, etc.
- It Helps You Check for Allergies or Food Sensitivities You Might Have.
- For people with allergies (e.g. nuts, dairy, gluten, soy) or intolerances (e.g. lactose, gluten), labels help identify dangerous or irritating ingredients.
- This can prevent serious allergic reactions or digestive issues.
- It Helps You if You are on A Special Diet to Make a Better Choice.
- If you’re on a diabetic, heart-healthy, keto, vegan, or low-sodium diet, labels help ensure you’re eating foods that match your goals.
- You can check for hidden animal products, sugars, or carbs.
- It Helps You to Identify any Food Additives and Preservatives.
- Some people choose to avoid artificial colors, sweeteners, or preservatives.
- Examples: sodium nitrite, MSG, BHA/BHT, artificial colors/flavors. These are often in processed or shelf-stable foods.
- Label ingredients reveal what’s really in the product beyond the marketing on the front.
- It Helps Prevent You from Buying Based on Marketing Misinformation.
- Just because a product says “natural,” “whole grain,” or “low-fat” doesn’t mean it’s healthy.
- The ingredients list tells the truth—for example, “whole grain” could still be loaded with sugar.
Barbara Day, M.S., R.D. is a registered dietitian with a Master’s in Clinical Nutrition and Chief Blog Organizer for DayByDayLiving.net. She has worked as a research nutritionist for the U.S. military and as a performance consultant for Navy SEALs, university athletic programs, and professional sports teams. Barbara authored Fast Facts on Fast Food for Fast People and the High Energy Eating Sports Nutrition Workbook. A former publisher, radio host, and longtime health advocate, she has spent over 60 years promoting healthy lifestyles. She is also a mother, grandmother of 13, and serves as the Grammy Grizzlies National Group Leader for Moms for America.
I too, have been reading labels for some time. I’ve found that store-brand products often contain more, unnecessary ingredients. For example, Daisy cottage cheese contains skim milk, cream and salt, pretty clear. But the Kroger brand cottage cheese contains a number of other things. (Don’t ask what, I don’t have a container to reference.)
My recommendation is to go organic when possible/practical. Compare product labels and pick the brand with the fewest ingredients. Turn away from anything that has ingredients that are unpronounceable/unrecognizable.
And if it has trisodium phosphate, TSP, run from it. TSP is a cleaning agent!
As someone who has been checking labels because of yellow dye #5 that made my son break out in hives about 36 years ago, I think knowing the various sugars is one essential, and knowing the difference in the sugars source, actions and effects. Research other unhealthy ingredients, like seed oils, toxic dyes, flavor enhancers, and your known allergens, and know all the alternate names they use for these ingredients. It will be worth the time spent to research these things, and it will be worth time spent reading labels in the store.
Author’s heart is in the right place, but it concerns me she says “ saturated fats” and “healthy oils” without explanation or definition. I think we’re finding out now that saturated fats aren’t the boogy man the “experts” said they were and the “healthy oils” are pretty stinkin’ unhealthy. I’m glad she’s big on checking for hidden sugars in all their various forms. Things in the “nutrition” field are changing fast with the advent of MAHA and it will require some real sea changes in thought.
Isn’t this information mandatory teaching by Dr’s not magazines? NONE of my Dr’s taught me this for 67 years! I’ve had many Dr’s since the unaffordable Obama act! I am grateful for A.m.a.c articles. Been a member for 5 years now and LOVE A.M.A.C!
Update labels for Frozen, dried foods
ALL
Downsize salt, sugar content & other chems
Use BOLD font face
Color code
What I want is for all products to have all ingredients present in al processed foods to be declared on the label, especially here in the USA, where se have had increases in strange ingredients added unnecessarily to our foods, as if we are the experiment test population. All our foods we consume should not good for us , not questionable.
When an ingredient is “Natural flavors”, what is that!! I’m just saying, don’t eat that crap!! Put back on the shelf, maybe they will stop making it!!
reading the labels is one thing, ordering and eating super size portions , triple sugars and creams in coffee with half a dozen of doughnuts, churros or whatever else in going to counter that.
i had a “mommy” and i don’t want another………..especially one looking like Robert Kennedy.
Have we all become incapable of looking out for ourselves and our families? Over time ingredients were required to be placed on food product labels, most of us, especially we older folks, can read and can perform perfunctory research. DON’T spend my money on nanny-stating even my food intake. Heck, I enjoy chips and sodas on occasion, if RFK jr doesn’t perhaps he should pull the silver spoon from his mouth and retry tasting such “bad for you” items if the man believes that occasionally imbibing such foods is the equivalent of the work of the devil.
GET OUT OF MY LIFE GOVERNMENT!