What is the first thing I look at when buying packaged foods?
The first thing I look at when buying packaged food…the ingredient list. Here’s why.
This is where they hide all the things. It might say zero grams of sugar, but is loaded with fake sugar. I also look out for artificial dyes like Blue 1, and Red 40, high fructose corn syrup, highly processed oils like canola, corn, or vegetable, and added synthetic vitamins and minerals. It’s not to say that I don’t ever buy things with these ingredients, but we need to be aware of them.
Ingredients must be listed in order of quantity, so the ingredients that take up the largest amount are listed first. This is important because if you are buying granola bars and the first ingredient is sugar that means there is more sugar than any other ingredient.
I focus on understanding and knowing what each ingredient is and what the purpose of it is. Next, I’m looking for the least amount of ingredients. Simple is almost always better.
What about serving size, calories, and other nutritional facts?
Serving size is often skewed in the manufacturer’s favor, so something doesn’t appear to be too high in sugar or carbohydrates because the serving size is so small and not an accurate representation of what someone would eat.
Calories don’t tell us anything that offers nutritional value that we can’t get from other areas. Especially if the serving size is misleading then then will also be inaccurate for what you’re likely consuming.
Just by looking at the ingredients I can generally tell if the food is balanced with protein, fats, and carbohydrates. I do like to pay attention to these items just to get a better understanding of those numbers. If it is primarily carbohydrates, I try to include some protein and fats to help keep it balanced and maintain blood sugar levels.
But for me ingredients are king!
Peanut butter is a great example. Jif Creamy Peanut Butter ingredients are peanuts, sugar, 2% or less of hydrogenated oil, and salt. Since peanut butter is naturally higher in protein and fat it’s not a big deal that there is added sugar…but why do we need sugar in peanut butter? There are lots of options out there that just contain peanuts or peanuts and a small amount of oil.
Once you start reviewing ingredients you’ll be surprised how basic kitchen staples are and realize some swaps you could make from scratch at home. Sometimes I buy spaghetti sauce and sometimes I make it at home. Sometimes I make mayo at home and sometimes I buy it. There is no black and white here. It’s all about being more aware and conscience of what we are purchasing.
I don’t obsess over the ingredients in foods like I used to because I know that my diet consists of mostly whole foods prepared at home. In my life, I am striving for a stress-free balance.