Have you ever looked at a nutrition label and not understood what a value meant? If the answer is yes, you definitely won’t be the first or the last because there are some hidden tricks that are designed to mislead. But not to fret because with the secret codes below, your eyes will be opened and you can finally be a food ninja that all food companies hate.
1. The “Sugar Free” Label
Sugar free does not mean zero sugar. In fact, the labels “Free of Sugar” refer to foods which contain less than 0.5g of sugar per 100 grams or 100 milliliters. “No Added Sugars” refers to foods without honey, malt or added sugars but exempts sugar alcohols put in during processing. Instead, be on the lookout for “Unsweetened” if you want an item that excludes all artificial sweeteners added in the processing stage.
2. Order of the ingredients list
The ingredients are usually listed by quantity from highest to lowest amount. This will provide a good indication of what the primary components of the food item is.
3. Other names for sodium
Sodium can masquerade in other forms such as salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium chloride, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), sodium benzoate or sodium nitrate.
4. The type of grain matters
Do not confuse multigrain with wholegrain. Although they sound similar, multigrain could refer to refined grains which lose some of their nutrients during processing and thus, are not as healthy as whole grains. Whole grain must contain the unprocessed germ, bran and endosperm. If whole-grains are not listed as the first three ingredients, then the amount present in the product is insignificant.
5. Organic doesn’t always mean healthy
Many organic foods contain high amounts of sugar which is still unhealthy. Organic just refers to the food being grown naturally without the use of pesticides. Not all organic food is completely free of chemicals, there are different levels of classification for organic food. The first is “100% Organic” which means there are zero synthetic ingredients. The second is “Certified Organic” which means it is 95% organically produced ingredients and 5% synthetic chemicals. Lastly, “Made with Organic [specific food]” means the product is 70% organic with up to 30% artificial ingredients.
The nutrition information may not disclose hidden components so always remember to double check the ingredients list. With that, go forth and prosper, fellow masters!