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

RaspberryTickleChicken
RaspberryTickleChicken Posts: 629 Member
edited November 12 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
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
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Replies

  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    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
    Ms_Enzo1313 Posts: 65 Member
    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
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
    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
    jane837 Posts: 68 Member
    - 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
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    Calories, protein, carbs.
  • jrline
    jrline Posts: 2,353 Member
    calories, serving size, servings per container
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Calories, protein, serving size
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    Calories, Protein, Calcium per serving. Then I fuss with serving size, just to give all 3 context.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    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
    Praying_Mantis Posts: 239 Member
    Ingredients
    Calories / Serving size / servings per container
    Protein

    Sugar
    Fiber
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    PRMinx wrote: »
    Calories, protein, carbs.

    Yeah, I look at serving size, too. Context is important. So, calories, protein, serving size.
  • OldWomanRuns
    OldWomanRuns Posts: 106 Member
    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
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
    edited February 2015
    -ingredients
    -trans fat (hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils) (I want to avoid)
    - calories
  • kozinskey
    kozinskey Posts: 176 Member
    Serving size, protein, calories. My world collapsed when I found out that two-bite brownies are 90 calories each :s
  • aprilashh
    aprilashh Posts: 1
    Sodium, sugar and fibre.
  • CaffeinatedConfectionist
    CaffeinatedConfectionist Posts: 1,046 Member
    I pretty much just look at calories/serving size and protein
  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
    calories
    trans fat
    serving size
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Pretty much just calories and protein.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    Calories per serving (preferably of 100g serving), protein, saturated fat
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
    Calories per serving, protein, fiber
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    Protein, calories, serving size.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,976 Member
    Calories
    Protein
    Sticker price

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  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Calories, salt and fat.
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
    edited February 2015
    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
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    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
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    Calories, protein, serving size, carbs
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Calories PER SERVING
    sodium
    carbs
    In that order
  • hgycta
    hgycta Posts: 3,013 Member
    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
    iamaprincessx Posts: 78 Member
    Carbs!!!
    Sugar!!!
    Calories per 100g
  • cw106
    cw106 Posts: 952 Member
    calories per 100g (suggested servings rarely add up)
    fibre
    price
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