Key points:
- If you're looking for healthy food choices, learning how to read food labels will help.
- Checking the label can tell you how much of a nutrient you will get in each serving.
- Choose fresh or frozen vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean meats more often than highly processed foods.
Do you ever feel confused when trying to make healthy choices at the grocery store? With so many products on the shelves, it can be overwhelming. The good news is that reading nutrition labels can help you choose the healthiest foods for you and your family as you navigate the aisles.
Food is key to managing diabetes and reducing the risk of chronic disease. Following a healthy eating pattern can help you manage blood glucose, meet your nutritional needs, and keep you feeling your best. Making healthy food choices while grocery shopping starts with understanding the nutrition labels.
Three Simple Steps for Reading the Nutrition Facts Table
1 - Look at the amount of food.
At the top of the Nutrition Facts Table, an amount of food is listed. This is called a “serving size.” The information in the table is based on this amount of food. By checking the serving size, you can understand how much of a nutrient you are eating. You can also easily compare the nutrient contents of similar products.
2 - Use the % Daily Value.
The % Daily Value (DV) is also in the Nutrition Fact Table. This guide shows you whether a serving has a little or a lot of a nutrient:
- 5% DV or less is a little
- 15% DV or more is a lot.
By checking the % DV, you can compare similar products and find choices that align with your nutrition goals.
3 - Read the list of ingredients.
Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. This means the food contains:
- more of the ingredients at the beginning of the list
- less of the ingredients at the end of the list.
The list of ingredients also provides important information for people with food allergies and intolerances.
Smart Shopping for Diabetes Management
These tips can help you make healthy choices on your next grocery trip.
Enjoy a variety of fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables and fruit. They are all good choices.
To stretch your food dollar, buy fresh vegetables and fruit when they are on sale or in season.
Choose whole grains most often. Look for these words: whole grain whole wheat, whole rye, whole oats, whole corn, whole barley, and so on at the beginning of the list of ingredients.
Look for bread, cereal, pasta and other grain products that contain two grams of fibre or more per serving.
Buy milk and yogurt with 2% milk fat (M.F.) or less, and cheese with 20% M.F. or less.
Choose fish, seafood, lean meat and skinless poultry.
Select plant-based protein more often. Include beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and soy products in your meal plan.
Pick unsaturated fats such as canola oil, olive oil and soft margarine.
Limit highly processed foods. These products tend to have more saturated fat, sugar and sodium.
Further Resources to Manage Diabetes
Food shopping tips for a balanced diet
UnlockFood.ca
Dietitians of CanadaUsing food labels to make healthier choices
Government of CanadaNutrition labelling
Nutrition Facts Table, Government of Canada
While reading labels does take a little longer at first, the benefits to your health are well worth the time. If you have questions about label reading, reach out to a registered dietitian. Dietitians are label-reading experts who can help you navigate the grocery aisles.
Written by Laurie Barker Jackman, RD, a registered dietitian in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Margaret Young, RD, a registered dietitian in Kensington, Prince Edward Island.
