5 Mistakes of Label Reading

nutrition facts panel
Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Here are the 5 most common mistakes made when shopping for packaged foods in the grocery store. It is easy to make these mistakes because food manufacturers want you to buy their products and what you see or think you see is not always what you are buying.

It is easy to choose packages and bottles that look like one serving but are 2-3 servings, buy items that contain too much sodium, or imagine that sugar-free is calorie-free.

Here are the five biggest shopping mistakes:

1. Ignore the label. Just grab all your food off the shelf without regard to a food label or nutrition facts.

2. Think that one package or bottle is one serving. Chocolate bars, cookie snack packages, and bottles of tea can often look like one serving but be many more. So a quick glance at the calories in these foods and beverages can steer you wrong if you fail to see the number of servings at the top of the label.

3. Ignore the sodium content on the label. Some foods contain a whole day's supply of sodium while supplying very few calories. Frozen foods, canned foods, and packaged foods are a greater source of sodium than a salt shaker.

4. Sugar-free or fat-free is not calorie-free. Some desserts look so delicious, and they tempt us with sugar-free claims. But if you compare their calories, they are not often that much different from their regular counterparts, and most are not "diet" foods.

5. Package sounds healthier than the real nutrition facts. The fried frozen fish that says trans-fat-free can be very high in saturated fat. Many claims only talk about one nutrient, but you must read the whole label to see the whole story.

These mistakes are based on our food reviews plus a survey of hundreds of food professionals.

Examine the Facts

Examine the Facts teaches 3 basic steps to evaluate a product quickly based on its nutrient analysis. Label reading is as easy as 1-2-3. AND an example is given that shows why it is better to compare a label - you save a lot of fat by choosing skim milk. PLUS, handy reminders show the total nutrients needed for a day.

1. Calories - what is this package's total number of calories? What is a serving size? How many servings are in this package?

2. Heart healthy - how much saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium does this package contain?

3. Nutritional value - how much fiber? How many other nutrients?

Here is a fun handout to download or take a look at the resources in our store


Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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