Everyday eating
How to read a food label in 30 seconds
Skip the marketing on the front of the pack. These four numbers on the back tell you what you need to know.
Lena Okafor · 1 min read
“Natural”, “light”, “high protein”: the front of the pack is advertising. The useful information is on the back, and you only need half a minute.
1. Check the serving size
All the numbers below depend on it. A “serving” of cereal is often 30 g, which is less than most people pour.
2. Look at fibre
More is better. Around 6 g per 100 g counts as high fibre and helps keep you full.
3. Glance at sugars and salt
Use the per-100 g column to compare products quickly:
| Per 100 g | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | 5 g or less | over 22.5 g |
| Salt | 0.3 g or less | over 1.5 g |
4. Read the first three ingredients
Ingredients are listed by weight. If sugar, or one of its many names, appears in the first three, it’s a big part of the product.
That’s it. No need to count everything: a quick check helps you choose better without overthinking it.