How to Read a Food Label: A Simple Guide to Healthier Choices
Have you ever stood in the supermarket comparing two products and wondered which one is actually the healthier choice?
Food labels can be confusing.
Packages are covered in claims such as “high protein”, “low fat”, “no added sugar”, “natural”, “gluten free” and “source of fibre”. While some of these claims provide useful information, they don't necessarily tell you whether a product is the best choice for your individual health goals.
The good news is that once you know where to look, reading a food label becomes much easier.
Here are some simple steps to help you understand Australian food labels and make more informed choices at the supermarket.
1. Look Beyond the Claims on the Front of the Package
The front of a food package is designed to attract your attention.
Claims such as:
High protein
Low fat
No added sugar
Gluten free
Vegan
Organic
Natural
Low carb
High fibre
may all be accurate, but they only tell you one thing about the product.
For example, a product labelled “no added sugar” may still naturally contain sugar or be relatively energy dense. A gluten-free product may still be highly refined and low in fibre. And a product promoted as “high protein” may also contain significant amounts of saturated fat, sodium or added sugar.
Don't judge a food solely by the claims on the front.
Turn the package around.
The ingredient list and Nutrition Information Panel tell you much more.
2. Read the Ingredient List
Ingredients on Australian food labels are generally listed from greatest to smallest by weight.
This means the ingredients appearing near the beginning of the list make up a greater proportion of the product.
Looking at the first few ingredients can therefore give you a quick idea of what the food is predominantly made from.
For example, if you're choosing a wholegrain bread, you would ideally expect a wholegrain or wholemeal flour to appear prominently in the ingredient list.
If you're choosing a muesli, you might look for ingredients such as oats, nuts, seeds and whole grains near the beginning of the list.
Ingredient lists are particularly useful when comparing two similar products.
However, don't automatically assume that a long ingredient list or an ingredient you don't recognise means a food is unhealthy.
The overall nutritional quality of the food matters more.
3. Learn to Recognise the Different Names for Sugar
Sugar doesn't always appear on a label simply as “sugar”.
Depending on the product, ingredients contributing sugars may include names such as:
Sucrose
Glucose
Dextrose
Fructose
Glucose syrup
Corn syrup
Rice syrup
Malt syrup
Barley malt
Honey
Molasses
Fruit juice concentrate
This doesn't mean every food containing one of these ingredients needs to be avoided.
Instead, look at where these ingredients appear in the ingredient list and then check the Nutrition Information Panel for context.
Also remember that the “sugars” value on an Australian Nutrition Information Panel includes both naturally occurring and added sugars.
For example, plain dairy yoghurt naturally contains lactose, while fruit naturally contains sugars.
This is why the ingredient list and nutrition panel should be read together.
4. Understand “No Added Sugar”
“No added sugar” does not necessarily mean “sugar free”.
A product can contain naturally occurring sugars from ingredients such as fruit or milk without having sugar added during manufacturing.
This is an important distinction.
Rather than automatically choosing the product with the lowest sugar number, consider where the sugar is coming from and what else the food provides.
For example, whole fruit contains naturally occurring sugar but also provides fibre, vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds.
Context matters.
5. Check the Nutrition Information Panel
The Nutrition Information Panel—or NIP—provides information about the energy and nutrients contained in the food.
Most Australian labels include:
Energy
Protein
Total fat
Saturated fat
Carbohydrate
Sugars
Sodium
Some products may also provide information about:
Fibre
Calcium
Iron
Other vitamins and minerals
You'll usually see two columns:
Quantity per serving
and
Quantity per 100 g or 100 mL
Understanding the difference makes comparing products much easier.
6. Use the “Per 100 g” Column to Compare Products
When comparing two similar foods, the per 100 g column is generally the easiest place to start.
Why?
Because manufacturers can use different serving sizes.
One cereal might list a 30 g serving while another uses 45 g. Comparing the “per serve” values directly can therefore be misleading.
Instead, compare the foods using the same 100 g reference.
For example, when comparing two breakfast cereals, you could look at which provides:
More fibre
More protein
Less added sugar
Less sodium
Less saturated fat
The healthiest choice will depend on the type of food and your individual nutritional goals.
7. Then Check the “Per Serve” Column
The per 100 g column helps you compare products.
The per serve column helps you understand what you are actually going to eat.
But there is an important catch.
The manufacturer's suggested serving may not be the amount you normally eat.
A packet might describe 30 g as one serving, but if you typically eat 60 g, you will consume approximately twice the energy and nutrients shown in the per-serve column.
Before relying on the serving information, ask yourself:
Is this actually the amount I would eat?
8. Look at Fibre
Fibre is an important consideration when comparing foods such as:
Bread
Breakfast cereals
Crackers
Grain products
Muesli
Snack foods
Fibre supports bowel health, feeds beneficial gut microorganisms and can contribute to satiety, cholesterol management and blood glucose regulation.
Higher-fibre options can therefore be useful when comparing similar carbohydrate foods.
Look beyond marketing claims such as “multigrain” or “made with whole grains” and check the actual fibre content.
9. Check the Protein
Protein is particularly important for maintaining muscle, supporting satiety and healthy ageing.
This becomes increasingly relevant as we move through our 40s, 50s and beyond.
When comparing foods such as yoghurt, breakfast cereals, snack foods or convenience meals, checking the protein content can be useful.
But don't assume a product is automatically healthy simply because “HIGH PROTEIN” appears across the front of the package.
Again, look at the whole product.
10. Look at Saturated Fat
The nutrition panel separates total fat from saturated fat.
Rather than trying to choose foods that contain no fat, focus on the type of fat and the overall food.
Foods such as nuts, seeds, avocado, oily fish and extra virgin olive oil naturally contain fat and can form part of an excellent dietary pattern.
When comparing similar packaged foods, the saturated fat column can help you make a more informed choice, particularly if cardiovascular health or cholesterol management is a priority.
11. Don't Forget Sodium
Salt may be listed as sodium on the Nutrition Information Panel.
This is particularly useful when comparing foods such as:
Sauces
Soups
Stocks
Crackers
Bread
Processed meats
Ready meals
Savoury snacks
If you eat a lot of packaged food, sodium can add up surprisingly quickly.
Comparing the sodium per 100 g between similar products can help you identify a lower-sodium option.
12. What About Food Additives and Numbers?
Food additives may be listed by their name, function and/or identifying number.
Examples include colours, preservatives, emulsifiers, acidity regulators and flavour enhancers.
An unfamiliar chemical-sounding name or number doesn't automatically mean an ingredient is unsafe.
Food additives permitted for use in Australia and New Zealand are regulated by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).
However, reading the ingredient list can still be valuable if you have a diagnosed allergy or intolerance or have been advised to avoid particular ingredients.
For most people, the bigger nutritional question is not whether a food contains an additive but how that food fits into their overall dietary pattern.
13. Check the Allergen Information
If you have a food allergy or medically diagnosed intolerance, the allergen information is particularly important.
Australian food labels have requirements around declaring common allergens.
Depending on your individual needs, you may need to look for ingredients such as:
Peanuts
Tree nuts
Milk
Eggs
Wheat
Soy
Sesame
Fish
Crustaceans
Molluscs
Lupin
If you have a diagnosed food allergy, always follow the advice provided by your appropriate healthcare professional and carefully check packaged foods each time you purchase them, as formulations can change.
14. What About the Health Star Rating?
You may see a Health Star Rating on the front of some packaged foods.
The system rates packaged foods from ½ to 5 stars based on a nutrient-profiling algorithm.
It can be a useful quick comparison tool when comparing similar products within a category.
For example, it may help when choosing between two breakfast cereals.
However, it shouldn't replace reading the ingredient list and Nutrition Information Panel.
A Health Star Rating doesn't tell you everything about the nutritional quality of a food or whether that particular food is appropriate for you.
A Simple 30-Second Food Label Check
If you don't want to stand in the supermarket analysing every number, keep it simple.
When comparing packaged foods:
1. Ignore the marketing for a moment.
Turn the package around.
2. Read the first few ingredients.
What is the product predominantly made from?
3. Compare similar products per 100 g.
Look particularly at fibre, protein, sugars, saturated fat and sodium where relevant.
4. Check the serving size.
Is the manufacturer's serving anything like the amount you actually eat?
5. Consider the whole food.
What nutritional value does it provide, and how does it fit into the rest of your diet?
That's often all you need.
Don't Let Food Labels Make Healthy Eating Complicated
One of the easiest ways to avoid becoming overwhelmed by food labels is to remember that many of the most nutritious foods don't require a complicated label.
Vegetables.
Fruit.
Legumes.
Nuts and seeds.
Eggs.
Fish.
Fresh meats.
Whole grains.
These foods can form the foundation of your diet, with appropriately selected packaged foods providing convenience and variety.
The goal isn't to become frightened of ingredients, sugar, fat or food additives.
It is to understand what you're buying.
Once you know how to read a food label, you can look beyond the marketing claims and make choices based on what is actually inside the packet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I look at first on a food label?
Start with the ingredient list to understand what the product is predominantly made from. Then check the Nutrition Information Panel and use the per 100 g column when comparing similar products.
Is the per serve or per 100 g column more important?
They have different purposes. Use the per 100 g column to compare similar products and the per serve column to estimate how much energy and nutrients you will consume from the amount you actually eat.
Does “no added sugar” mean sugar free?
No. A product labelled “no added sugar” may still contain naturally occurring sugars from ingredients such as milk or fruit.
Does gluten free mean healthier?
Not necessarily. Gluten-free foods are essential for people with coeliac disease and may be required for some other individuals, but a gluten-free label doesn't automatically indicate that a product is more nutritious.
Are all food additives bad for you?
No. Food additives permitted for use in Australia and New Zealand are regulated by FSANZ. Some people may need to avoid specific additives or ingredients for individual clinical reasons, but an additive number doesn't automatically mean a food is unhealthy.
What does the Health Star Rating mean?
The Health Star Rating is a front-of-pack system that scores some packaged foods from ½ to 5 stars. It is most useful for comparing similar packaged products rather than deciding whether an individual food is inherently “healthy” or “unhealthy”.
What nutrients should I compare on a food label?
It depends on the food and your goals. Fibre, protein, sugars, saturated fat and sodium are commonly useful measures. Someone managing cholesterol, diabetes, gastrointestinal issues or another health condition may need to focus on different information.
Need Help Understanding What's in Your Food?
Food labels are a useful tool, but healthy nutrition involves much more than finding the product with the lowest sugar, fat or calorie content.
Your nutritional requirements depend on your age, health, lifestyle and individual goals.
At LEPT Nutrition, we help clients understand what to eat and how to make practical food choices for sustainable weight management, menopause, metabolic health and gastrointestinal health.
Consultations are available at Wellness Zone in Warwick, Perth, Western Australia.
