Decoding Food Labels: What You Need to Know
Reading food labels can feel overwhelming, especially with misleading claims, health star ratings, and hidden ingredients. Many products market themselves as "healthy" when, in reality, they contain high sugar levels, processed ingredients, or additives that don't align with your nutrition goals. Understanding how to read and interpret food labels is key to making informed choices.
Why You Shouldn’t Trust the Front of the Package
The front of a package is designed to sell the product, not inform you. Terms like "no added sugar" or "all-natural" can be deceptive because they don’t necessarily mean the product is good for you. For example:
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A product might say "no added sugar", but the main ingredient could still be a high-sugar component like fruit concentrate or maltose.
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Foods labeled "low fat" often compensate by adding sugar or artificial ingredients.
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Even health star ratings can be misleading—some processed foods score high, while whole, nutrient-dense options score lower.
Health Star Rating Tip: Health Star Ratings enable comparisons between similar packaged food products, but they do not indicate the absolute healthiness of a product. For example:
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Frozen beer-battered chips or tempura battered chicken nuggets (52% chicken with added sugar) might have 4 stars, while Greek yogurt with milk, cream, and culture may have only 3 stars.
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Full-cream milk (4 stars) vs. skim milk (5 stars), even though full-cream milk contains only one ingredient: milk.
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Light margarine (4 stars) with 10+ ingredients vs. unsalted butter (1 star) with only one ingredient: cream.
The First Three Ingredients Matter Most
To get a real sense of what you're eating, skip the marketing claims and go straight to the ingredients list. Ingredients are listed in order of quantity, meaning the first three ingredients make up the bulk of the product.
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If a product claims to be made of vegetables but lists sugar, salt, or flour as the top three ingredients, it’s not a true vegetable product.
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Look for whole food ingredients like vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and lean proteins rather than processed additives and fillers.
TIP: If sugar, salt, or saturated fat appear in the top three ingredients, it's best to reconsider that product.
Why Nutritional Panels Can Be Misleading
The nutritional information panel provides a breakdown of macronutrients like calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrates, but these figures don’t always tell the full story.
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Serving sizes can be unrealistic – Many manufacturers use small, unrealistic serving sizes to make the product appear healthier.
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Calories Aren’t Always Absorbed the Same Way – Whole foods vs. processed foods can affect absorption. For example, whole almonds provide 30% fewer absorbable calories than ground almonds due to fiber content and digestion differences.
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Protein Calories Are Overestimated – Due to the thermic effect of food (TEF), the body absorbs 30% fewer calories from protein than listed.
This means that two foods with the same calorie count can have very different effects on metabolism and health.
The Hidden Names of Sugar
Manufacturers often use different names for sugar to make their products appear healthier. A good rule of thumb: If an ingredient ends in "-ose," it’s likely a sugar. Some common hidden names for sugar include:
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Fructose, sucrose, glucose, maltose, dextrose
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Cane sugar, honey, agave nectar, molasses, coconut sugar
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High fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate
If sugar appears in the top three ingredients, the product is likely high in sugar, even if it claims to be “healthy.”
Comparing Nutritional Panels: Avocado vs. Chips
A surprising comparison shows just how misleading labels can be. Consider half an avocado and a small serving of chips:
|
Nutrient |
Avocado (100g) |
Doritos (27g - 11 chips) |
|
Energy |
160 kcal |
140 kcal |
|
Protein |
2g |
2.1g |
|
Fat |
14.6g |
7.3g |
|
Saturated Fat |
2.2g |
0.8g |
|
Carbohydrates |
8.5g |
16g |
|
Sugars |
0.6g |
0.6g |
|
Dietary Fiber |
6.7g |
1.3g |
|
Sodium |
7mg |
164mg |
Although the nutrition panels appear similar, avocados provide essential vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats, while chips contain processed oils, artificial additives, and excess sodium.
The "May Contain" Dilemma for Allergens
Food packaging often includes "may contain" statements regarding gluten, nuts, dairy, or shellfish. While necessary for allergy safety, some manufacturers use them excessively rather than ensuring strict allergen-free production.
At Be Fit Food, we take extra steps to create meals in a gluten-free kitchen so that individuals with dietary restrictions can eat with confidence.
How to Make Better Choices
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If a food doesn’t have a label, it’s likely a good choice (e.g., fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains).
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Ignore front-of-package marketing and focus on the ingredient list and nutritional panel.
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Look for whole food ingredients in the first three listed.
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Be wary of misleading health star ratings—they don't always reflect the true nutritional value of a food.
The Be Fit Food Approach to Healthy Eating
At Be Fit Food, we believe in real, whole-food nutrition that supports better health, weight management, and brain function. Our meals are high in protein, low in refined carbs, and made from whole food ingredients, helping you avoid the confusion of misleading food labels.
References
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Consumer Reports. (2023). Misleading Food Labels. Retrieved from: https://www.consumerreports.org
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Healthline. (2023). How to Read Food Labels. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-read-food-labels
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Queensland Health. (2023). Reading Food Labels. Retrieved from: https://www.health.qld.gov.au
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Virta Health. (2023). Names for Sugar. Retrieved from: https://www.virtahealth.com/blog/names-for-sugar
