What are the GOOD ingredients to look for on the label?

Question

I know that sugar, enriched flour, hydrated oils, saturated fats.....are all bad for you, but what are the GOOD things to look for while label reading?

Answer 1

that's easy enough.. the one's that you can pronounce or by looking at it you know what the element is.

if the lable has more words that are 26 letters long than the words that are of pure elements like sugar, vitamins, fats, proteins, nitrates... water.. vegetable contents.... well i'd put that down and get something with a shorter list of ingrediants that seem like they came from something else edible.

that's how i do it.. too many chemicals, preservatives, binders, agents, adjuncts, chemicals... means to me super duper GERD and constipation.

:D

i like breyers ice cream (for example) it's cream, fruit, sugar, salt, an natural flavoring...

i go for simple because i know most likely it'll have fewer things in it that will just make me uncomfortable.

Answer 2

NONE of those things are particularly bad for you, in moderation, and in it's proper usage.

How do you make a proper butterscotch cookie without sugar? Even the hydrated oils and saturated fats are ABSOLUTELY necessary in some foods, as well. Certain breads will not behave properly with out them.

Heck, fruits are what they are because of sugar content!

The key is in how they are applied, and in what quantities. What you want to look for in labels is HOW MUCH is used, and are they being used when other ingredients work as well. Some of the saturated fats are used only because they have a longer shelf life. THAT'S an example of a product you can avoid if some other product is available.

Look up the USDA guidelines for detailed information. Almost any nutritional site will also give you good information, but be sure to look up more than one site to verify the info. Some sites may have a particular ax to grind.

Answer 3

remember that labels are written so that the ingredient used the most is the first on the list. So if things like SUGAR are listed first, then the product is mostly sugar.

For GOOD healthy foods, the list will be made of things you understand. Whole grain wheat, raisins, almonds - just as examples. If the list is full of scientific words and things you don't even know what they are - why would you want to eat a bunch of chemicals and preservatives? Look for products made from real FOOD. Better yet - dont read labels. Buy fresh fruit, vegetable and lean meats and cook your own food. Then you don't have to worry, you know you are eating healthy!

prepackaged foods are ALWAYS worse for you than eating fresh produce. And look for food that is organically grown - then you won't be ingesting pesticides, either.

Answer 4

'Cold Pressed' in oil is very good. It means they're not been heated or mechanically pressed so the enzymes are not damaged.

'Bottled from Source' and 'Spring Water' is good IF they're together. These two has to be together, a lot of labels use spring water when they're actually not.

'Organic' in anything is definitely GOOD! Organic produce uses limited pesticides and no growth hormones. They're natural and tastes much better. Do not confuse the word 'organic' and 'natural'. 'Natural' does not mean anything, there is no label required for 'natural'; this means any product can use the word natural without restriction from the FDA or any other food associations. 'Natural' is a marketting word.

'Sea Salt' is better compared to 'Iodized salt'

'Anti Oxidant' is good. These are essential vitamins found in fruits and veggies.

'California Grown' is good because I'm a Californian and we're pretty strict on food standards.

Answer 5

Fiber, protien, milk, whole grains, a low calories from fat count, natural flavorings, and any kind of vitamin or mineral are all good ingredients to look for on a label.

Even though looking for the good things is very good, don't stress over it. If something has a bit of corn syrup or sugar or saturated fat, its not going to kill you. Our bodies need
everything to survive and we need to eat a balanced diet. If you just eat all low fat, no sugar food you aren't getting a balanced diet. My theory on food and eating is what keeps me healthy. Here it is:

Everything is good for you if you eat it in moderation.

Remember that. Look for the good ingredients, but don't have a panic attack if something has a little bit of something not so good.


I hope this helped,

Ruby Red Rose
@>-'-,--

Answer 6

I go by the least amount of ingredients. The fewer the ingredients the more pure the food is to it's natural form which means your body will naturally absorb and metabolize it better. The ingredients that have been altered are not natural can and will harm the body like high fructose corn syrup.

Answer 7

I tend to make things fresh rather than eat ready meals, and vegetables don't have ingredients labels. If I buy something in a tin, or ready made sauce I check the labels.

Answer 8

I use a book called 'The Chemical Maze' when I do my shopping and it pretty much decodes all the crap, preservatives and carcinogens that are added to our produce these days. It also details the 'good' things that are added.
I think as long as I steer clear of the bad things, then I am ahead!
I just make sure I get a lot of fresh fruit and veg and lean meats etc. That way I know I am eating a healthy balanced diet.
Google 'The Chemical Maze' and lots of info comes up.

Answer 9

Fiber content, vitamin and mineral percentages. Another tip for "bad" avoid the single ingredients that look like run on sentences. If these make up thirty percent or more of the total listed ingredients, don't consume it. Use it to block radiation and inclement weather.

Answer 10

1) Non artifical ingridents are good.

2) Anything with the word "not from concentrate"

3) Organic

4) Juice

5) What you buy is what you get ingridents. EX: Peanut butter ingridents should just say : Peanut or Roasted Peanut. Also there are minor things to look out for like EX: Cranberry juice, even thought its 100% juice with no water added, they could list grape juice and apple juice in there as their first ingrident to mix with it, so you're not really getting 100% cranberry juice, but it's still good. I'm just saying if you want to pay that amount for some watered down stuff, while another brand with the same price has high quality ingridents.

If you didn't know. The first ingrident listed has the most amount in your product.

I usually stay away from things with water as first ingrident, which means its watered down not 100% even thought it say it is. Also I stay away from things that has added vitamin c or d...etc on it. Because in my opinion, its artifical ingridents its adding in, I like mine organic. Also it tastes better. Ever had Orange juice with added calcium? It tastes thick and awful!

I should have check before I bought that expensive hyped up healthy Goji Juice for 50 dollars, which it has more grape and apple juice than Goji!! Grrrrr.