Everything you need to know about food labels, from a registered nutritionist
Understanding food labels and nutrition facts can help you make informed choices when it comes to your food. We asked a Registered Holistic Nutritionist for her thoughts on why knowing what you’re eating matters.
By Emily Gilbert
Understanding food labels and nutrition facts tables can help you make informed nutritional choices.
But sometimes, food labels can be confusing, especially if you aren’t sure what everything on the label means. We chatted with Natalia Bragagnolo, a holistic nutritionist and the community manager at HEAL, to find out more about food labels and nutrition facts tables.
Why is it important to be able to read food labels?
The more informed you are, the better. “Think of food labels the same way you think of your bank account,” Bragagnolo says. “Sometimes it’s scary to face the truth of what’s there. But when you do, you’re so much better equipped to make reasonable choices.”
“It’s about understanding what you’re eating, especially if you rely a lot on packaged foods.”
What can food labels tell you?
Food labels can tell you a lot about what’s in the food you’re eating. They include the nutrition facts table, which can highlight how nutritious a product is, and the list of ingredients. Ingredients are always in order of highest to lowest quantity in the food product.
Labels also have nutrient and health claims. One example of this type of claim is “a good source of calcium.” Another example is “A healthy diet containing foods low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure.” You’ll also find other claims like “natural ingredients.” Bragagnolo notes that other claims like these are more for marketing purposes. Though they have to be truthful, they can also be misleading and confusing.
What is in a nutrition facts table?
We asked Bragagnolo about what kinds of things you can learn about your food from a nutrition facts label.
Serving size: Use serving size to compare two similar products from different brands. Compare the serving size with how much you’re actually eating. The recommended serving size isn’t necessarily how much of that food you should eat. Also, serving sizes vary depending on the food item. Some may be for 1 cup, or ½ a cup, or another measure entirely.
% Daily value: This percentage (%DV for short) is on the right side of food labels. It shows you if the serving size has a lot or a little of a nutrient. The percentage is based on how much you’re supposed to consume each day. For example, a food product might have 3mg of iron. The daily value for iron consumption is 14mg. This means that %DV for iron of that food product would be 21%. Health Canada notes that 5% or less is a little, and 15% or above is a lot.
Calories: Calories refer to the amount of energy in food that comes from nutrients like carbohydrates, protein and fat. Your body uses energy from calories to do everything from exercising to sleeping. The amount of calories you need depends on your metabolism and amount of physical activity you do. According to Health Canada, eating more calories than you need over time may result in gaining weight. On the other hand, eating fewer calories than you need may result in losing weight.
Fat: A nutrition facts table will tell you the total amount of fat per serving of that food product.
Bragagnolo says many fats are good for you, but for most people, it’s best to consume fat in moderation.
“Generally speaking, you should avoid trans fats entirely. Keep saturated fats on the low to moderate level,” she says. “Looking at the ingredients list is a good way to find out where the fat is coming from in that food.”
Carbohydrates: This includes all types of carbohydrates that are in that food item. Carbohydrates include starches, sugars and fiber.
Examples of starchy foods include:
- Beans and peas
- Potatoes
- rains
Foods with fiber include:
- nuts
- seeds
- whole grains
- fruits and vegetables
Carbs often get a bad rap, but many carbs are healthy, especially those from whole fruits and vegetables.
For example, “Fibre is a nutrient you actually want more of,” Bragagnolo says. “Most people don’t consume enough.”
Sugar: This includes simple sugars found in whole fruits, juice, milk, some vegetables and added sugars in many packaged foods.
Bragagnolo recommends choosing foods with a percentage of less than 5%-10% of your daily intake of sugar. Look at the ingredient list for the source of fats or protein or see if there are ‘added sugars.’ If you’re trying eat less sugar, avoid foods that list sugar as one of the first three ingredients.
“Sugar tastes amazing,” Bragagnolo says. “It’s no wonder people love it. But we really don’t need it, and we tend to overconsume it. The more we can reduce the amount of sugar we eat, the better.”
“There are several food and drink options that have a lot more sugar than you may think,” she explains. “Sauces like tomato sauce and BBQ sauce, salad dressings and granola bars are among them.”
Protein: Protein helps build and repair body tissues. It’s an important nutrient for your health. Similar to carbohydrates and fat, it’s also a source of energy. Nutrition facts tables don’t contain a %DV for protein because most people generally eat enough protein. Some healthy sources of protein include lean cuts of meat, beans and lentils, and fish.
Cholesterol: Cholesterol is a type of fat made by the body. It only comes from animal-based foods, such as cheese, eggs and meat. Cholesterol isn’t in plant-based foods, such as fruit, grains and vegetables. Concerns about your blood cholesterol level? Health Canada suggests you try to avoid foods containing high amounts of trans and saturated fat.
Sodium: Most Canadians eat almost double the amount of sodium they should on an average day.
The top 6 culprits for high sources of sodium include:
- Baked goods (like bread, buns, muffins, cookies and crackers).
- Appetizer and entrees like pizza, lasagna and frozen potatoes
- Processed meat like sausages, deli meat and burgers
- Cheese
- Soups
- Sauces and condiments
Look for foods with “No salt added.” Try to choose products that have no more than 15% Daily Value per serving.
Calcium: Calcium helps build strong bones and teeth, and helps your muscles work. Foods that contain calcium include tofu, unsweetened low fat milk and yogurt. Other foods include sesame seeds and dark green veggies like kale and broccoli.
Iron: Iron helps produce red blood cells and helps move oxygen throughout the body. Iron is found in foods like spinach, legumes (like beans and lentils), eggs, fish and meat.
Canada’s original and new nutrition facts table
During our conversation, Bragagnolo noted that a new nutrition facts table was coming to Canadian food products.
By 2022, all labels will have some key differences, including:
- The new label features a percentage of your daily recommended intake for sugar.
- Minerals have been updated to those that are most relevant to public health.
- A footnote at the bottom explains how to interpret percentages of daily value. This can help you get a sense of what is too much or too little.
Be cautious when it comes to “Natural Ingredients”
In order to eat healthily, many consumers seek out products that contain natural ingredients. But sometimes this term can be misleading when it comes to food labels.
“Companies can use a ‘natural ingredients’ label in cases where products contain some natural ingredients,” says Bragagnolo. “This can give the false impression that all ingredients are natural when they’re not.”
According to Bragagnolo, natural doesn’t necessarily mean healthier either. A product made with all-natural ingredients can still contain high amounts of sugar, fat or sodium.
The bottom line
We asked Bragagnolo, what, in her opinion, is the #1 thing people should know about food labels.
“People can get really hung up on reading labels,” she said. “But a truly healthy diet should mostly consist of foods that don’t actually have any labels at all.”
Fruits, vegetables, meat, legumes, nuts and seeds and whole grains are the key components to eating well according to Bragagnolo.
“It can be helpful and more realistic for most people to try to aim for the 80/20 rule,” she explains. “Choose 80% of the food you eat to be real, whole foods, and when you do buy foods with a label, choose items with ingredients that you recognize. There’s so much choice available now. By understanding how to read food labels, you’re much better equipped to find similar choices with better ingredients.”
Looking for support to help with your digestion and nutrition? HEAL provides 1:1 coaching to find a solution that fits your lifestyle. They take clients from all over the world, all you need is a Wi-Fi connection. Find out more about HEAL and how you can get a discount in our Discovery Lab.
Written in consultation with Natalia Bragagnolo, Registered Holistic Nutritionist.
Originally published on Lumino Health
