How to Read Nutrition Labels

Article At A Glance:
• Food companies often use deceptive marketing to sell their products.
• To be an informed consumer, you need to learn to read and understand the billboard, nutrition facts, and ingredient list on each product label.

If we truly understand that the key to treating our children’s autism lies in a healthy gut, we will take great care to ensure that their bodies are being properly fueled by excellent nutrition. Shopping for healthy food should become a top priority, but how can we ensure we make the best purchases?

First, it’s crucial to understand that modern packaging is a marketing masterpiece. Major food manufacturing companies have paid top dollar to determine what words, colors, fonts, and pictures on the packaging best convince people to buy their products. In order to not be fooled into making seemingly good selections that actually can harm our children’s already compromised immune systems, you must become adept at reading and deciphering their labels. Here are the 3 parts of the label you need to understand:

The Billboard

The front of the label, or “the billboard”, if you will, is your first impression of the product. Certain words like “low fat,” “healthy eating,” clue you in that this is meant to be some sort of healthier option, and many people will simply take this at face value and put the item in their cart upon seeing it. However, you need to look further to know whether or not this is a food you really should buy.

Nutrition Facts

Those who are even mildly health-conscious are likely familiar with reading the nutrition facts. Information such as calories per serving, number of servings, grams of sugar, grams of fat, etc. all play a part in determining if this is a good purchase. Be aware that many products that label themselves as “low fat” are marked high in sugar and should be avoided. Also, if a food only has 70 calories per serving but the package contains many servings, the food is not as low calorie as it may appear to be.

The Ingredient List

The list of ingredients is arguably the most important part of the label but sadly is often the most neglected part. Look for ingredients that you can pronounce, and stay away from things like corn syrup, preservatives, and food dyes.

In the video above, I take you through an exercise looking at two bags of chips and how they differ in the information offered on their labels. Watch it to learn how even though one is clearly being marketed as the healthier choice, the ingredient list tips it off as the worse of the two.

*This website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by a healthcare professional.

References

1. “4 Myths That Are Affecting Your Child's Health”
2. Harvard School of Public Health｜Watch Out For Misleading Food Packaging Claims
3. The Toxins in Foods That Big Companies Don't Want You To Know About