I’m A Doctor And This Is How To Read Food Labels Properly – Without Falling For ‘Marketing Tricks’

A top doctor has revealed how to read supermarket labels carefully to avoid “ultra-processed” foods.

Dr. Megan Rossi shared her handy tricks for deciphering food labels to ensure customers “don’t fall prey to marketing gimmicks.”

The gut health doctor said the ingredients are listed from largest to smallest, to make sure the top three are healthy and to check the serving size to see if claims like “low sugar” on the packaging are true.

She shared how to “become a food detective” by “looking at the numbers” on food packaging and making sure you’re making “informed decisions” about what you put in your cart.

Dr. Megan said ingredients are always listed in descending order of weight.

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She said the ingredients are listed from largest to smallest, to make sure the top three are healthy and to check the serving size to see if claims like “low sugar” on the packaging are true

“Ingredients are listed from largest to smallest, so if a product promises a healthy ingredient like oats, you want it neatly at the top for you to benefit from,” she said on Instagram. video.

Second, Dr. Megan recommended “keeping a close eye on” the three key ingredients.

“Make sure they come from whole foods. Really limit the proportions of ingredients that are ultra-processed,” she advised.

Third, Dr. Megan to check the portion size on foods that claim to be low in sugar on the package.

“This is often based on an unrealistically small portion size (marketers’ favorite trick!) so check how many grams you would actually eat,” she said.

This isn’t the first time Dr. Megan has shared tips for reading food labels.

Dr. Megan recommended keeping a “close eye” on the three key ingredients: “Make sure they come from whole foods.” Really limit the proportions of ingredients that are ultra-processed’

She previously shared why shoppers should be wary of foods that contain flavors, claim to be high in protein, and contain “exotic”-sounding ingredients.

“The shelves of our supermarkets are full of foods claimed to have health benefits with healthy-looking packaging — but when you look at them in detail, very few are as healthy as you’ve been led to believe,” she said.

Dr. Megan said flavoring means “no plant points,” so if it claims something tastes like blueberries, for example, she recommended checking the ingredient list to see if and how much blueberries are in it.

“Many products claim to be high in protein – but is that protein packed with a lot of food additives like sweeteners, and no fiber?” she said.

“Most likely, in which case my vote is to go for nuts, tofu or an egg instead!”

Finally, Dr. Megan said “exotic-sounding” foods like coconut blossom nectar and date syrup might make a product sound healthy, but it could be full of sugar.

“These are still types of sugar that can still cause spikes and dips in your blood sugar,” she said.