Food labels are the link between us and the products we buy everyday. We can see them as ID card and to learn to read them properly, it helps us to get to know better what lies there in front of us. They are an important tool to preserve our health and natural well being.

To read the labels properly, we need to focus on few but important things like where the product comes from, who’s produced it, its shelf life and how to store it properly.

However the most important pieces of information are the quantity and the quality of the ingredients.

The ingredients are always listed in decreasing order. The shorter the label, the best it is.

Very often the simple things are the best.

Try to avoid products, which have artificial flavours or colourings and privilege those with extra virgin olive oil instead of palm oil or margarine.

Don’t trust 100% the so-called “healthy” labels.

One classic example is “sugar free”. By sugar we mean saccharine (the caster sugar) but if we read that there is fructose or glucose syrup, then there is actually sugar in the product and it’s not sugar free at all! Another would be “low fat”: sometimes industry, to reduce fat but still keep on taste, adds more sugar in the product so in the end we eat something that is rich in calories, not what we would call a “low fat” product.

If we become more conscious and responsible of what we buy every day, we can see how each single gesture can contribute to a better respect of ourselves and have a positive impact on our health.

Photo credits: http://www.unifiedhealthgroup.com/reading-ingredient-labels/