4 Tips for Reading Food Labels
Being able to efficiently read food labels and decide whether or not to buy an item is such a crucial skill if you’re wanting to incorporate more clean foods into your diet. So many of the food products that we know and love actually contain ingredients that are extremely unhealthy and harmful to our bodies. Just because a package says “low calorie” or “non-fat” doesn’t meant it’s healthy!
So how do you know what to buy and what to stay away from? Below are my four easy tips to keep in mind when shopping:
Does the item have tons of ingredients that you can’t pronounce? If a product’s ingredient list looks like you would find the items in a laboratory, then you should probably stay away. Clean, whole foods are naturally made from the earth and you should be able to easily recognize the ingredients they’re made with.
Are there more than 5 ingredients? If so, make sure to look extra carefully at what all of those extra ingredients are. A good rule of thumb is to try and stick to items with 5 ingredients that you recognize and are naturally made.
Are there labels that make the product seem “healthy?” For example, “low sugar,” “non-fat,” “only 2g of carbs!” are all warning signs for foods that have probably been processed and stripped of their nutrients. If something sweet has a label with “low sugar” it tends to mean that there is another more processed form of sweetener being used in the product. Make sure to take an extra look at the ingredients in these items before buying!
Be more concerned about the amount of sugar rather than the amount of calories of an item. Sugar can be disguised in many forms and if there is a lot of processed added sugar in the food, your blood sugar will spike which causes a sugar crash and craving more food (typically something unhealthy) quickly after. Here’s a good list of all of the different items that help to disguise sugar in foods.
Remember that choosing the best foods for your body doesn’t have to be difficult! Think about it in a balanced mindset and that you are fueling your body with what it needs to thrive - clean, nutrient-dense foods to help you stay strong and healthy!
Contact me today if you’re interested in how I teach my clients to read food labels in a really simple way!
xo