How to Read a Food Label (Without Getting Fooled)

Front-of-pack claims like "natural" and "high protein" mean almost nothing. The real information is on the back — here’s how to read it.

The 3 things to check

1. Serving size — the trick: numbers are often per tiny serving, not per pack. Check what you’ll actually eat.
2. Sugar & salt per 100g — compares fairly between products. High sugar is roughly >15 g/100g; high salt >1.5 g/100g.
3. Ingredients list — ordered by quantity. If sugar/maida is near the top, that’s mostly what it is.

Marketing traps

• "Made with real fruit" — often a tiny amount.
• "No added sugar" — can still be high in natural or other sweeteners.
• "Multigrain" / "brown" — not the same as whole grain.
• "Low fat" — often loaded with sugar to compensate.

Quick answers

What should I look at first on a label?

Serving size, then sugar and salt per 100g, then the ingredients list — in that order.

Are "high protein" labels reliable?

Not always — check the actual grams of protein per serving; many are marketing with little real protein.

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