Know What’s In Your Food: How To Read The Packaging

Food labels are something that we’ve all seen thousands of times. However, it’s likely that most haven’t even taken the time to fully read the nutritional facts and ingredients list. One reason that you haven’t is maybe because you don’t fully understand how to do so. Here are some helpful tips for reading those food labels so you can be more knowledgeable about what you eat.

Read More Than Just The Front Of The Package

One of the biggest mistakes that many people make when reading food labels is just looking at the front labels. These are the ones that are meant to entice you as a consumer and are specifically designed by the food manufacturer to be simple to read. In most cases, the manufacturer is simply adding the label to one-up its competitor. People tend to perceive one food as healthier than another if one has a healthy label and the other is missing one.

Start By Reading The First Three Ingredients

The ingredients list of a product is ordered from the highest quantity to the lowest quantity. So to make this sound as simple as possible, the first ingredient in the ingredients list is what was used most by the manufacturer to produce it. Therefore, it’s a good idea to read over the first three ingredients inside any product that you intend to buy. This will reveal to you what you’re going to be eating.

When reading these first three ingredients, there are some things that should pop out at you. Ingredients like sugar, hydrogenated oils, and refined grains are all unhealthy to have in large amounts. If you find these listed as one or more of the first three ingredients, you may want to opt for purchasing a different food or brand.

Pay Attention To The Length Of The Ingredients List

It makes sense that you’ll need to read the full ingredients label if you find that you’re specifically allergic to some food thanks to allergen testing. The ingredients list spills out all of the ingredients that were utilized to make the food. If you notice that an ingredients list on a product is more than two or three lines, then it’s highly likely that the product is highly processed.

Look For Allergen Testing

If a product is made in a trustworthy facility, there should be regulations on how food is tested before going out to the public. If you have food sensitivities or allergies, you should always read the packaging to make sure the food has been tested. Most food manufactures will include allergen testing as part of the process. If you are unsure, and your allergies are serious, try to only buy from manufacturers who comply with your countries regulations for testing.

Determining what foods are healthy for you to eat starts with understanding how to fully read the product label. The above are three main tips that can get you started on your journey of label reading. It’s a good idea to learn what some of the main unhealthy ingredients are to look out for in product labels so you can better choose healthy foods to purchase while at the store.

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Written By:

Kara Masterson is a freelance writer from Utah. She enjoys tennis and spending time with her family.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.

Photo by Ryan Quintal on Unsplash