At the supermarket, it's not always easy to read the information on the packaging... Find out below how to read the nutritional labels so you don't make any more choices by chance!

Why read nutrition labels?

Supermarkets are temples of consumption, they are full of more and more products. These come from large industrial groups whose goal is to sell. So they made sure to make their labels as attractive as possible, while hiding information that could damage their reputation.

To become an actor of our health, to be able to decide what we want or not to put in our plate, it is important to be able to decipher these famous labels, often illegible because of their small size. This allows us to remain in control of our consumption, to be able to choose a product according to its composition and not its packaging, its advertising, its taste, its price...

Remember, health is on the plate!

But what do we find on these packages?

European laws require certain information to be present on labels. This is the case for the "name of the product," the list of ingredients and the nutritional value. Let's look at these points in detail.

The name of the product on the label

This point seems obvious to us and we expect something clear. But don't be fooled... Even the name of a product can be confusing!

• Beware of tempting claims such as "less ...", "low in ...", "light", ... They often hide other information.

• Always choose a product that has a name close to what you are looking for. Ex: "Chocolate Mousse" rather than "Chocolate Dairy Specialty").The clearer and more specific the name, the more aware you will be of what is actually in the package.

• Special attention should be paid to the "Light " label: sugar is replaced by synthetic sweeteners which are quite often bad for your health.
  

The list of ingredients on the label

The ingredients are listed in descending order. This means that the first ingredient on the list is the one that is most present in the product.

• It is important to choose foods with the shortest possible ingredient list because the longer the list, the more likely you are to find additives (these are mostly found at the end of the list).

• The order of ingredients can make the difference between one quality product and another, so check that the first few products on the list are what you expect to find.

• Pay attention to the nature and quality of the ingredients. When you see the words "vegetable oil", it often hides palm oil. So make sure the nature of the oil is specified (olive or rapeseed) on the label. If it is not specified, it is probably palm oil.

• If you want to buy dark chocolate, consider looking at the cocoa composition, you might be surprised. The same is true for pre-packaged meat. This one contains too often additives, flavour enhancers or other "fats" to increase the total weight.

• As for eggs, to be sure of their quality, it is preferable to choose "free-range" or organic eggs.

• Although it is healthier to squeeze or extract your own juice, if you happen to buy juice in stores, remember to choose 100% pure juice (watch out for the "no sugar added" label).

• Also, choose foods with natural ingredients ("sugar" instead of "glucose syrup" or "flour" instead of "modified starch").

Be aware that in cheap products, you are paying mostly for water, sugar and additives, while in more expensive or Organic products, you are paying for the raw materials, more noble. Be careful with the big industrial brands for which this is not always the case. In this case, the brand name is mostly paid for.

Nutritional values on labels

This represents the energy value of the product, expressed in Kcal per 100g or 100ml.

It is important to identify the size of a portion to know what you are really consuming, however, if you want to compare two products, you should base it on the value for 100g or 100ml.

Certain nutrients must be listed on the label. These are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and salt. Some mentions, such as vitamins, minerals and claims (rich in fiber, sources of vitamins, ...) are not mandatory but serve the manufacturer to highlight the benefits of their products.

This nutritional info allows you to compare two products, but it's important to refer to the ingredient list to know where these nutrients come from.

The Lipids (fats)

They are classified according to their quality. The so-called "saturated" fats are to be avoided, they come mostly from animal foods and increase bad cholesterol.

The so-called "unsaturated" fats are to be favored because they come from plants and fish and are often a source of omega 3.

Special attention should be paid to "Tans" fatty acids. These are to be banned from our diet because they are vegetable oils transformed to make them solid via a process called hydrogenation. This makes them carcinogenic. Unfortunately there is no legal obligation to mention this type of fat on the label. They are therefore hidden in unsaturated fats.

Carbohydrates (sugars)

This denomination includes simple sugars (lactose, fructose, sucrose) as well as complex sugars (starch).

The "of which sugars" represents simple sugars. Lactose and fructose are good sugars and sucrose (table sugar) should be limited.

The rest is composed of starch which is stored as fat if it is not spent through physical activity.

Remember that carbohydrates, good or bad should be consumed in moderation because they cannot be stored as such by our body. The body transforms them into fat. Make sure you consume an amount of carbohydrates that corresponds to your energy expenditure.

For information, 5g of sugar = 1 sugar cube.

The Proteins

This information allows us to see if we are consuming enough protein on a daily basis and the quality of that protein. To know the nature of it, you must refer to the list of ingredients. The ideal is to consume 50% animal protein and 50% plant protein.

The Salt

Beware! Especially for people with high blood pressure or heart failure. The WHO recommends max 5g of salt/day yet salt is often hidden in products, which is why it is recommended not to add salt in your preparations.

Good to know: when sodium is mentioned on the label, you need to multiply its value by 2.5 to know the salt content of the product.