Understanding the Basics Food Labels
Let’s start with the basics. Every label tells a story about what’s inside your food. The key components include:
- Serving Size and Servings Per Container: This is the foundation of the nutrition label. All the information on a label is based on this amount. Be mindful that what you consider a serving might differ from what’s listed on the label (sneaky tricks companies play to downplay what’s inside the foods)
- Calories: Essential for understanding energy intake, but remember, not all calories are created equal and they don’t tell the whole story about the food’s nutritional value.
- Macronutrients: This includes fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. In the Mediterranean diet, you’re looking for good fats like olive oil, whole grain carbs, and lean proteins.
- Ingredients List: Often more telling than the nutrition facts. Ingredients are listed in order of quantity per serving. For example, if the first 3 ingredients are: sugar, flour, wheat… – there is more sugar than any other ingredient found in each serving. Therefore, always remember: The first few ingredients are what the product is mostly made of.
Decoding the Numbers
- Fats: Not all fats are created equal. The Mediterranean diet values healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Be cautious of trans fats and saturated fats.
- Sodium: High sodium levels can be a concern. The Mediterranean diet prefers natural spices and herbs for flavor, rather than relying on salt.
- Sugars: Watch out for added sugars and beware!! Sugar can hide under many names – fructose, glucose, syrup, and more. Knowing these aliases helps you avoid unwanted sugars.
- Fiber: A high fiber content is a good indicator. The diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, all of which are good sources of fiber.
Overall, always remember less is more. Generally, fewer ingredients mean less processing.
If you’re in the US, the FDA has an entire breakdown of the nutrition label. This could also be beneficial to others in the world, as the information is displayed more or less the same (the layout is different and of course the whole metric system). For EU, here’s an article that talks about what needs to be on the label.