What nutritional information should I pay attention to when reading a nutrition label?

Dr. Megan Whelan says:

Checking the nutrition label is a great way to compare food products and make healthier, more informed choices. Nutrients of interest may be different for every person depending on their health priorities but the main nutrients of significance to align with healthy eating guidelines are fairly consistent world-wide. When checking the nutrition information on food labels it is useful to:

• Have an awareness of energy intake (kcal or kJ) to help be mindful of overall energy balance
• Focus on including fibre and good fats in your eating patterns to meet recommendations
• Try to choose foods with high levels of saturated fats, added sugar and salt less often and in smaller amounts.

A helpful tool often listed on the nutrition label is the serving size. The suggested serving size does not always add up to the amount of food contained in the packaging so it is a good idea to check this information as an indicator of portion size. Additionally, often a reference intake (amount of each nutrient contained in the food product as a proportion of the estimated requirement for a generally healthy adult) is listed and can help inform a rough target for each nutrient. Our individual requirements will differ based on a number of characteristics such as age, gender, body composition and activity level, but the reference intake can be useful as a general approximation. Instead of focusing all the attention on what to cut out of your meals, you might find it helpful to use the nutrition information to focus your attention on adding in more of the good things!

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Kate Spina says:
As consumers, we are bombarded with food advertising and a huge amount of choice at the checkout. Add the latest social media “superfood” trends or the newest diet your colleague told you about and our nutritional choices can be fraught with confusion. Luckily, knowing what information to look for on a nutrition label can make healthier eating easier. A nutritional panel will tell you how many calories are in a food item but can also give you a much bigger picture of how a certain food impacts your health.

Firstly, have a look at the ingredient list and remember that ingredients are listed from the greatest to the smallest amount. Do fats, sugars and salt feature at the top end of this list? Are they hiding under different names? Sucrose, glucose, honey, malt syrup, maple syrup, coconut sugar and corn syrup are all types of sugar and fats may be listed as shortening, copha, cocoa butter, palm oil or lard. We generally want smaller amounts of these ingredients in our diet so ideally they should be seen down the lower end of the list, if at all.

Check the serving size. Does it reflect the portion you are actually eating? A package may contain a single portion or several. If you are reading nutritional information for a ⅓ cup serving of granola but you are actually eating double that, you need to multiply the nutritional information by two.

How much sugar does it have per serving? Be aware of added sugars and look for a sugar content less than 10g per 100g. Foods high in added sugar are easy to consume and can contribute to increased body fat and insulin resistance. Some foods, like fruit and milk, naturally contain sugar but also offer other valuable nutrients.

Check for saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fats can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke so choose products with less than 3g of saturated fat per 100g. Trans fats, sometimes listed as “partially hydrogenated oil” in the ingredient list, are banned in some countries due to their adverse effect on health. Completely avoid products containing these harmful fats.

Look for dietary fibre as it is necessary for good digestive health, helps you feel fuller for longer, reduces unhealthy cholesterol and improves blood sugar levels. Choosing products with 3g or more of fibre per 100g could also reduce your intake of highly-processed foods which tend to be lacking in fibre.

What’s the sodium per serving? Most added salt comes from packaged foods, not from our own seasoning so pay attention to the sodium content. Foods containing less than 140mg per 100g are considered low sodium but this is where it is useful to consider the sodium per serving. Most guidelines recommend limiting daily sodium intake to less than 2000mg so look for labelling indicating less than 500mg of sodium per meal or less than 250mg per snack.