Reading a nutrition label properly is a basic skill that every health conscious individual has to learn. Oftentimes, food manufacturers sell a product as healthy when in fact knowing how to decipher the ingredients listed on a nutrition label reveals a different truth.

Often, people just look on the front label that contains the appealing catch words that sound healthy such as low fat, all natural and multi-grain. But, when you look more closely at the breakdown of ingredients, you may find chemical additives along with ingredients that are not healthy or nutritious at all.


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Unfortunately, the manufacturers can get away with attractive and colorful front labeling without having to define certain additives that may sound nutritious but are far from it. Nutrition labeling at the back is where all the important information is to be found. This is the only information you need to use to determine if a product is healthy or just a marketing strategy.

Here are some ingredients that it is important to avoid in packaged foods. Your health depends on it.
  • High fructose corn syrup
  • Enriched and bleached flour
  • Trans-fats
  • Foods with 10 ingredients or more
  • Artificial colorings
  • Refined sugar
  • Saturated Fats
  • High-Sugars
  • High-Sodium
  • MSG (monosodium glutamate)
  • Sodium Nitrate
Nutrition labels give us important information about calories, serving sizes, and ingredients. The upper half of the label contains specific information of the product's number of calories, serving, and nutritional content. The nutrition facts label will help you determine the amount of calories and nutrients in a serving of food. This information will help you determine if the food you are buying is part of a healthy balanced diet.

Ever since 1994, food manufacturers are obliged by the (FDA) Food and Drug Administration to include nutrition facts labels on their product packaging so that consumers have precise information on food nutrition as they purchase a certain product. However, food labels are not just a national requirement. You can make use of food labels as a guide for planning meals and snacks. Food labels are necessary in nearly all foods, except those who do not offer a lot of nutrients, such as alcohol, coffee, and spices. Though a few restaurants present information about the foods that they serve, at this point they are not required to have labels. The FDA suggests that sellers give nutritional information on products such as poultry, meat, and seafood, but it is voluntary.

Nutrition labeling of foods gives information about the nutrients found in packaged foods. The body requires the right mix of nutrients and vitamins to grow and function properly. Fresh foods that are pre-packaged sometimes include nutritional labels, too.

Most nutrients are measured in grams. Some nutrients are measured in milligrams. Milligrams are very small - there are 1,000 milligrams to 1 gram. On food labels, the percentages are based on a 2,000 calorie diet for adults. Percent daily value on a label that tells you how food can help anyone meet daily nutrition goals.

Your best bet is to shop the perimeter of the supermarket and avoid the inner sections where most packaged, processed foods reside. Processed foods offer little nutritional value. Fresh organic fruits and vegetables should be the focus of a healthy diet.