In the meantime though, here are some helpful tips on how to decode the current food label as a whole. Whether this assists the consumer is still yet to be seen. In an effort to make nutrition labels more reader-friendly, the FDA has published new rules for nutrition labels which are to be enforced in 2021 and gives the current nutritional label a new and improved facelift. Many have questioned the effectiveness of food labels or whether it adds further confusion for the consumer.

Verify any health claims the manufacturers of those foods make.

Select food products that are of most interest based on their nutritional content.

those containing ingredients that we may be allergic to

Stay clear of food products that may be harmful i.e.

Count calories, and in the case of the keto diet, enable carb counting in order to stay within the 20g daily limit.

Understand what ingredients are in a food product.

Compare and choose between similar products.

What are the benefits of reading nutrition labels?įood labels provide information that assists the public in making informed choices about what to consume. I recommend using nutritional values from You can sign up for a FREE account and track your daily carbs, electrolytes, and vitamins. Reader's tell me every day they find errors because of a user misunderstanding total or net carbs and users from across the world who use total or net systems. There is too many incorrect 'user added' entries. NZ/AUST show net carbs (and stating fibre is optional)Īnd it's for this reason that I do not recommend carbs counting apps such as MyFitnessPal and Carb Manager. Typically UK nutrition labels show NET CARBS Typically the US nutrition labels show TOTAL CARBS

And depending on which country you are in they will either show NET or TOTAL carbs and sometimes it isn't clear which they are referring to.

However, each brand may display its nutritional contents differently. Firstly you need to understand the difference between total and net carbs.Ĭarbohydrates will be on the nutrition label are often broken down into carbohydrates, sugars, starch, and fiber.

Myfitnesspal carb counting