Natremed

Is the food you're eating actually food or just a bunch of numbers? Here are a few tips to help you read and interpret food labels before you purchase.

1. Ingredients are always listed in order of proportion size in which they are found in the product. The first three listed ingredients on the label are the most important to take note of, as these will occur in highest proportion in the product. Those at the top of the list are what you are primarily eating.

2. Sugar: can also be under the name of fructose, sucrose, corn syrup, brown sugar and dextrose. Using this method the manufacturer can trick you into thinking the product contains only small amounts of sugar, when actually the total sugar per product may be quite large. With this method we get a sense of the actual type of sugar found in a product, but it will no longer appear in the top three ingredients.

3. Ingredients listed at the end of the label are generally found only in minute amounts. A product that claims to be full of fruit, herbs, nutrients or other healthy sounding ingredients, may in fact actually only contain traces of these products. So don’t be fooled by food marketing claims that state this product is made from an ‘organic herbal essence or fruit”. Check the label first.

4. If there are long chemical sounding words amongst the ingredients it is best to avoid the product. Stick with ingredients you recognize, as these are more likely to be natural and less toxic.

5. Look for words like “raw” or “sprouted’ or ‘wholegrain’. This indicates a more natural product. The more raw ingredients a product contains, the less processed and healthier it is. A product that is ‘enriched’ with vitamins, minerals etc is more processed than foods that naturally contain these nutrients, for example “wholegrain, raw or sprouted” products.

6. Wheat flour: In many cases this flour has been processed – and therefore contains minimal nutrients. “Whole grain wheat flour” is the most natural and healthy option.

7. Is brown healthier than white? Only if it is a wholegrain product. For example brown rice and many brown breads are processed to the same degree as the white produce and then brown coloring or the grain hull is added back in to the finished product. In this case there will be no difference in the nutritional value of the grain. Choose a wholegrain product instead.

8. Eat food, not numbers! Common food colorings, flavorings and additives do not have to be marked by name, but are instead often given a number. This can be confusing for customers. For example Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is often listed as flavour enhancer 621 or E621. MSG may also be found under various other names including Hydolised Vegetable Protein (HVP).

9. Look at the serving size. Some companies will put ridiculously small serving sizes, so they can be deceptive about the calories/fat/sugar content believed to be in that food. It is best to compare the average amount per 100g as your guide to fat, sugar content.

10. Don’t be fooled by the name of the product. For example a “fruit bar” may not necessarily contain fruit, but instead be banana flavored.