What are you actually eating? Learn how to read food labels and take back your health.

Food labels are both insanely helpful and completely overwhelming when you’re trying to start eating healthy. Companies plaster “low-fat” “Gluten-free” or even “Organic” all over their food boxes to try and get you to think that the foods is healthy, but those claims don’t always equate to healthy. The only way you can actually know if you should include a food in your diet is to understand the nutritional facts and what those mean for your body and nutrition.

Nutritional Facts will tell you how many calories are in a serving. It will also tell you how many grams of protein, fat and carbs are in a food. These are the three macronutrients that my clients use to make healthy decisions. However, there is a lot more information on those labels. 

If you’re ready really get a handle on your nutrition, then it’s time to understand food labels!

Understanding serving sizes will help you lose weight.

Everything has a serving size. All of the nutrients are measured by that serving size. When you’re reading a nutritional label, it will tell you the serving size for that food. Serving sizes are usually measured in cups, ounces or grams. 

Most people don’t know what an ounce or gram looks like, so they guess and this is where we get into trouble. People tend to go bigger when they’re estimating serving sizes, which leads to overeating.

The only way to understand what a serving size looks like is to measure it! If you don’t know what 4 oz of chicken looks like, then you need to see it, feel it, understand what it actually looks like. 

I suggest buying a food scale and measuring your portions until you know what it looks like. Eventually, you’ll be able to look at a piece of chicken and eyeball if it’s a correct serving without having to measure it out. Now, I’m not saying you’ll look at a piece of chicken and automatically know that it’s 3.8 oz, but you’ll be able to look and determine if it’s close to a correct serving. You just have to learn the walk before you can run!

Know what macros are in your foods

Once you understand portions and serving sizes, then you can determine how many macros you’re eating. 

But what exactly are macros? Macro is short for macronutrients. All foods are made of macronutrients, which are just groups of nutrients. Macros are broken up into three groups: protein, fats and carbohydrates, these are the three largest macronutrients that your body needs in order to survive.

Macronutrients will be listed in the nutritional facts section. If you want to know if a food is categorized as a protein, fat or carb look at which macronutrient has the highest number of grams. If there’s more protein than fats or carbs, then that food is a protein. 

I love using the example of hummus. Most people assume that hummus is a protein; however, if you look at Sabra Classic Hummus it has 5 g of fat, 4 g of carbs and 2 g of protein. So this hummus would actually be classified as a fat, not a protein. 

Understanding how many macros are in your food and what they are categorized as can help you make better choices. 

Every person has different nutritional needs, which means each person needs a different number of macros in order to have a balanced diet. You can use online calculators to find out your macro numbers, but keep in mind that tools like this don’t take your personal preferences or situations into account. It’s better to work with a coach to calculate your macros, so that you are equipped with a plan that works for you.

Important things to look for

If you’re looking to really change your health, then you need to be aware of more than just your macros. You need to look at eating whole foods vs. processed foods and you need to be aware of your sugar intake.

Fiber

Fiber is a carbohydrate that doesn’t break down and turn into sugar when it’s digested. Most people need 20-30 grams of fiber a day, but are maybe getting half of that!

You probably know that fiber keeps you regular, but did you know it plays a huge roll in these processes as well?

• Aids in weight loss

• Helps control blood sugar levels

• Lowers cholesterol levels

• Lowers risk of heart disease

• Maintains bowel health

• Helps to balance hormones

Fiber is mostly found in whole foods - fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans. When you’re looking on a nutritional label, look under the carbohydrates to see how many grams of fiber are in that food.

Sugar

Sugar isn’t a bad thing! I want you to remember when we’re talking about sugar that it has a place in your diet! In fact, sugar is what gives you quick fuel and can help you power through a tough workout!

However, just like fiber you want to look for sugar in whole foods rather than processed foods. Because the sugars in whole foods are going to be better used as fuel by your body; whereas processed sugars are more likely to be stored as fat.

Another thing to look for on nutrition labels is added sugar vs. total sugars. The total sugar is going to include any sugar naturally found in the ingredients and added sugars are usually added into the food to make it taste better. The lower the added sugars, the better! If you really want to know more about why sugar is added, check out the ingredients and it will give you a better idea of what’s in the food.

Remember that there aren’t good foods or bad foods. There is just food accountability. Some foods are going to be better choices, and learning more about food is only going to give you the knowledge to make choices that are right for you! If you struggle to understand food or need help knowing what foods are best for you, then let’s talk! Schedule a free discovery call with me and I’ll help you get your nutrition on track!

Save to Pinterest!