You’re standing in the supermarket aisle, holding two products that look basically the same. One says “high protein.” The other says “all natural.” The labels on the back are a wall of numbers. Which one do you pick?
Most people either ignore the label entirely or get overwhelmed by the information. Neither approach helps. The good news is you only need to understand a few key things to make better choices.
Start With the Serving Size
This is where most labels trick you. That small bag of chips? “Per serving” looks reasonable, but check the servings per package. If there are 3.5 servings in a bag you’d eat in one sitting, multiply everything by 3.5. That 150-calorie snack just became 525 calories.
In Australia, food labels show nutrition per serving AND per 100g. The per 100g column is your best friend because it lets you compare products directly, regardless of serving size differences.
The Numbers That Matter
You don’t need to analyse every line. Focus on these:
Energy (Kilojoules/Calories)
This tells you how much energy the food provides. In Australia, labels show kilojoules (kJ). To convert to calories, divide by 4.2. A rough guide per 100g: under 600kJ is low energy, 600-1000kJ is moderate, and over 1500kJ is high.
Protein
More is generally better, especially if you’re training. Look for at least 10g per 100g in foods you’re choosing for protein content (yoghurt, bread, snacks). Meat, fish, and eggs will obviously be higher.
Sugar
Under 5g per 100g is low. Over 15g per 100g is high. Watch out for products marketed as “healthy” that are loaded with sugar: muesli bars, flavoured yoghurts, juices, and sauces are common culprits.
Sodium (Salt)
Under 120mg per 100g is low. Over 600mg per 100g is high. Processed foods, bread, sauces, and deli meats tend to be sodium-heavy. Too much sodium is linked to high blood pressure and fluid retention.
Saturated Fat
Under 3g per 100g is what to aim for. Total fat isn’t as useful a number because not all fats are bad. Avocados and nuts are high in total fat but it’s mostly the good kind.
The Ingredients List
Ingredients are listed in order of quantity. The first ingredient is what the product is mostly made of. If sugar (or any of its aliases) appears in the first three ingredients, it’s a sugar-heavy product regardless of what the front of the packet says.
A general rule: shorter ingredient lists are usually better. If you can’t pronounce half the ingredients, it’s heavily processed. That’s not always a dealbreaker, but it’s worth knowing.
Marketing Claims to Ignore
Food marketing is legally regulated but still misleading. Watch out for:
- “Natural” means almost nothing legally. Arsenic is natural.
- “Light” or “lite” can refer to colour, taste, or texture, not just calories.
- “No added sugar” doesn’t mean low sugar. Fruit juice has no added sugar but is loaded with natural sugars.
- “Made with whole grains” could mean 1% whole grains. Check the actual ingredients.
- “Fat free” often means they added sugar to compensate for the flavour loss.
A Practical Approach
You don’t need to read every label on everything you buy. Most of your diet should be whole foods that don’t even have labels: fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, rice, oats. For packaged foods, just run through the quick checks above.
Over time, you’ll develop a sense for which products are genuinely good and which are just good marketing. The label is there to help you. Use it.
