Avoid Nutrition Label Paralysis
Do you dread going to the supermarket because it feels overwhelming to make the best decisions for you and your family?
When you go to the grocery store, you make a conscious choice to purchase foods that line up with your nutritional goals, but it’s not always easy. How many times have you found yourself in an aisle staring at nutrition labels trying to figure out if that particular item really is good for you?
The general rule of thumb is to shop the outer aisles of the supermarket. Can you picture the outer aisles of your favorite store? I bet it’s where all of the fresh produce, fresh meat & fish, eggs, and dairy are. The inner aisles are filled with processed and refined items, most with bright and shiny labels claiming to be “sugar free,” “low calorie,” and “natural” - but are they?
Food companies have come up with cleverly crafted words and phrases to market their products to sway your buying decision. That leaves it up to you to sift through the bad stuff to get to the good. Not fun, right?
Reading the ingredient list on food packaging is more important than the buzz words called out on the front. As a rule of thumb, the first 3 ingredients on the list are what make up the majority of what you’re consuming. If the list is longer than 2-3 lines, you can bet that that product is majorly processed.
Let’s chat about these deceptive & confusing terms that can seriously affect what you’re loading into your cart.
“Light”: Light food products are usually highly processed to lessen or eliminate calories and fat. Food additives are used to enhance flavor during processing, so read the ingredient list carefully. Additives may tack on excess sugar or calories to "light" foods.
“Low-calorie”: Low-calorie food items made by one company may contain just as many calories as their competitor's regular version of the same item, so it’s potentially not really better for you. To be given the “low-calorie” label, the product must have one-third fewer calories (40 calories or less) per serving than their original product—which tells you nothing about how that product ranks in the overall category.
“No added sugar” or “Sugar free”: Did you know that "no added sugar" doesn't mean that the food is healthy or sugar-free? This term simply means that the product isn't processed with any sugar or sugar-containing ingredients. The label does not, however, account for sugar alcohol or artificial sweeteners, so make sure you inspect the food label carefully. Foods labeled “sugar-free” may be packed with fat, artificial sweeteners, and other fillers to compensate for lost flavor or texture when sugar is removed.
“Low-fat”: The FDA has strict guidelines that govern foods labeled "low-fat." For instance, the product must contain three grams or less of fat per 100 grams, and have 30% or less of its calories come from fat. However, sugar is often added to low-fat foods which brings up other health concerns.
“Low-carb” and “Keto”: The FDA doesn’t actually have guidelines for “low carb” or “keto” food labeling so while that particular product might not have an excessive amount of carbs, it isn’t a real, approved food label.
Now, there are other labels that are harder to navigate, such as “organic,” “grass-fed,” and “cage-free” but I would love to help you with during a Grocery Store tour. I’ll show you where to save and where to splurge, how to get the most out of your produce, meats & fish, how to identify a sneaky imposter on a food label, when it’s important to purchase organic, and so much more!
Make grocery shopping an empowering experience, not a dreadful one! Schedule a free consult with me to learn more.