Be a Label Detective: How to Make Healthier Food Choices

Understanding food labels can feel like navigating a maze, but it’s an essential skill for making healthier food choices. With a little practice and guidance, you’ll be able to decode labels and confidently choose products that support your health goals. Here’s everything you need to know to get started.

Food Label Basics

We all want to make healthier choices around food.  Understanding food labels can be tricky and takes time and practice.  Start at home by getting familiar with labels on the foods you eat regularly. Then when you are shopping, compare labels of similar products to find the healthiest option.

Here is some basic information about labels:

1. Back of pack labelling is mandatory and must contain details such as energy KJ/kcal, fat, saturates, carbohydrates, sugars, protein and salt in 100g or 100ml depending on the product.

2. The ingredient list must be shown in descending order – if sugar is listed as the first ingredient, the product may contain high levels of sugar.

3. The government introduced a Traffic Light System to help consumers make better choices by giving a visual guideline around four main nutrients: Fat, Saturates, Sugars and Salt on the front of pack labels.

4. The Traffic Light System works using Red to show that the product contains high amounts of a nutrient, for example, sugar; Amber will provide moderate amounts of a nutrient and Green will provide acceptable amounts of a nutrient.

5. Salt labelling is mandatory in Ireland.  Some products, if they are imported, may list salt as “sodium”.  Adults should eat no more than the maximum of 6g of salt a day – that’s around one teaspoon for the entire day.  Low salt on a label will be .3g or less per 100g and colour coded green.  The number one culprit for added salt is bread.

6. Carbohydrate on a label is made up of sugars, fibre and starch.  The total amount of carbohydrate will be shown on the label as well as the amount which is sugar.  Low sugar is 5g or less per 100g – this is the equivalent of 1 teaspoon of sugar.

7. It is important to distinguish between added sugars and sugars found naturally in a food such as, for example, Greek Yogurt which may show 6g of sugars on an unsweetened pot.  This sugar is the natural lactose found in milk which is the main ingredient in the natural yogurt and not coming from added sugars.  It is the added sugars which cause the health problems.

8. Concentrate on removing products like fizzy drinks, sugar sweetened beverages, sweets, jellies, cakes, biscuits, etc which contain a lot of added sugars – you will see the colour red on the front label.

9. If a product contains sweeteners, it will be listed in the ingredients list and not shown as part of the label.   Sweeteners can often cause laxative effects if eaten in significant amounts which is often mentioned on food packaging.  

10. Saturated fat is always shown on a food label and it is important to aim for less than 1.5mg per 100g.  Anything over 5g per 100g is high in saturated fat.  Too much saturated fat can cause problems with cholesterol levels.  It is important not to totally avoid fat in our diet as a certain amount is needed to absorb fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A, D E and K.  There are healthy foods which contain saturated fat like eggs, dairy products and coconut oil – the main saturated fat foods to limit include processed meats, pastries, pies, fried foods and unhealthy oils.  

11. It is important for our health and especially to help with blood sugar control that we are aiming to get over 30g of fibre a day.  Fibre is found in fruit, vegetables, beans, lentils, oats, nuts, seeds, bread, cereal and pasta.  Studies show that most of us only reach half that amount in a day.  Eat a varied diet of the key finds high in fibre and look at labels on packaged foods to aim for 6g or higher of fibre.  Breakfast cereals can be a problem around high sugars and low fibre – check labels carefully!

Healthy Swaps for Everyday Foods

Look at making healthy swaps especially around common food products like baked beans, tomato ketchup, stock cubes,  breakfast cereals, yogurts,  health bars,  frozen meals, etc.  You will be able to compare brands by looking at the colour coding on the front as well as reading the levels of carbohydrates, added sugar, fats and salt on the back.
 

Start slowly making changes so your taste buds can adapt to the different flavour which you may notice in healthier options. 
 

Tips for Label Reading Success

• Start Small: Begin by familiarizing yourself with labels on your regular foods.
• Compare Products: When shopping, use the Traffic Light System and back-of-pack details to choose healthier alternatives.
• Focus on Key Nutrients: Prioritize reducing added sugars, saturated fats, and salt while increasing fibre intake.

With practice, you’ll become a label-reading pro, making informed choices that support your health and well-being.