What Top 3 Stats Do You Focus on When Reading Food Labels?

RaspberryTickleChicken

Just out of curiosity, I was wondering what top three items do most long-term maintainers hone in on (with food labels) when trying new things or tweaking current food repertoire?

In order of priority, I look for:

• Total Calories from Fat (esp. Sat or Trans Fat)
• Sugar
• Carbs vs Net Carbs

kimny72

I am not quite at maintenance yet (so close!) but I don't foresee my answer to this question changing... First calories, second protein. That's pretty much it. I would then glance at the ingredients list just to see what I'm getting into!

By the way, congrats on that loss! 38 lbs on your height must have made such an improvement in how you feel. And you look great :drinker:

Ms_Enzo1313

Hi there! I now read all the labels

I look for Sodium/Saturated Fat and Fiber content. I am trying to add new foods into my food options so I look for food that are higher in fiber but that also taste good.

kristen6350

Basically I look for Calories and how much I can eat per serving because I'm a bulk eater. I'm happier eating things I can eat tons of for lower calories.

jane837

- Calories, because that's my primary goal each day
- Protein, because I often don't eat enough every day unless I put some thought into it, and I want to build muscle
- Sugar, because I find that I feel better when I eat less of it.

PRMinx

Calories, protein, carbs.

jrline

calories, serving size, servings per container

diannethegeek

Calories, protein, serving size

HeySwoleSister

Calories, Protein, Calcium per serving. Then I fuss with serving size, just to give all 3 context.

cwolfman13

It kind of depends...it depends on how that meal is going to be worked into the rest of the day; I take a pretty global view of my diet and don't worry so much about individual food items or meals in isolation.

Mostly I just look at calories, the servings size, and servings per

Praying_Mantis

Ingredients
Calories / Serving size / servings per container
Protein

Sugar
Fiber

PRMinx

PRMinx wrote: »

Calories, protein, carbs.

Yeah, I look at serving size, too. Context is important. So, calories, protein, serving size.

OldWomanRuns

I start with total calories and serving size for those calories - then sodium (high blood pressure) and sugars. But, I have also learned to look at the ingredient listing to see how many different "ose" there may be and if they are artificial. Have a bad reaction to most all of the artificial sweeteners. Am working on being whole food/non-processed - not there by any means - but, working on it.

jennifershoo

-ingredients
-trans fat (hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils) (I want to avoid)
- calories

kozinskey

Serving size, protein, calories. My world collapsed when I found out that two-bite brownies are 90 calories each

aprilashh

Sodium, sugar and fibre.

CaffeinatedConfectionist

I pretty much just look at calories/serving size and protein

melimomTARDIS

calories
trans fat
serving size

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Pretty much just calories and protein.

dopeysmelly

Calories per serving (preferably of 100g serving), protein, saturated fat

crystalflame

Calories per serving, protein, fiber

AliceDark

Protein, calories, serving size.

ninerbuff

Calories
Protein
Sticker price

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

jgnatca

Calories, salt and fat.

SuggaD

I look at ingredients first and foremost. If it has anything chemically in it, I don't buy it. Any hydrogenated oil, I don't buy it. Then I look at refined sugar and sugar calculation. Then sodium. Then overall calories per serving. I don't buy a lot of packaged foods for these reasons.

williams969

Most of the things I eat have either no label (produce, meats, other single ingredient bulk items, etc.) or I have the macros/calories pretty much memorized (like my daily yogurt, bread/starches, eggs, etc.). What can I say, I like consistency and familiarity (some may call it a boring routine, lol).

If it's a packaged item, then I will check calories, price (on a strict budget here, lol), and sodium. If it's something I'd really like to eat (this usually applies to "treats"--sweets or savory indulgences), I don't care what the macros are, I'll make them (mostly) fit my day.

gmallan

Calories, protein, serving size, carbs

nxd10

Calories PER SERVING
sodium
carbs
In that order

hgycta

It all really depends, honestly I do look at EVERYTHING.
If I've been eating a lot of carbs or fats though, when it's time for my next meal/snack I may look for something lower in these things to even out my ratio and make sure I'm getting all my needed nutrients according to the database.
But generally speaking, the three main things I look at are calories, sodium, and serving size. Everything else will change depending on how my overall day went.

iamaprincessx

Carbs!!!
Sugar!!!
Calories per 100g

cw106

calories per 100g (suggested servings rarely add up)
fibre
price