3 STEPS TO READ FOOD LABELS (LESS THAN 20 SECONDS)
INTRO
50% of our diet comes from ultra-processed food (UPF).
This means we’re at risk of dying 10 years earlier.
The #1 way to reduce UPF is by raising your awareness of food—read the labels.
But reading labels can be overwhelming and time-consuming.
Here’s how you can read food labels in less than 20 seconds to spot low quality food:
STEPS
Step 1: Skip the front label
Front labels are used to lure consumers into buying products, can be highly misleading.
So completely ignoring the claims on the front label can save you time in reading and will bring you more benefits than harm.
Step 2: Check the first 3 ingredients
Product ingredients are listed by quantity - from high to low.
To buy: If these 3 ingredients are unprocessed or whole foods.
Not to buy (or at least reconsider): If these 3 ingredients are highly processed or sounds "chemically".
The NOVA System helps you know the degree of food processing, from unprocessed to highly processed.
Step 3: Length of the ingredient
If the ingredient list is longer than 2-3 lines, it indicates the product is UPF.
The longer the list, the worse.
The shorter the list, the better or least worst.
WHY IT WORKS
Choosing convenient food often means sacrificing the quality of the food we eat.
These 3 steps take only seconds to complete but can prolong your life for years (what a steal 😂).
The truth is, you can't avoid UPF completely, but you can minimise it.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Our food choice is currently uninformed; we aren't aware of what we put into our body.
Reading food labels is the only way to make informed choices, and it isn't an option anymore.
“If we're not willing to settle for junk living, we certainly shouldn't settle for junk food.” - Sally Edwards (1st Women's Marathon Olympic Trials, 1983).
Thanks for reading, and have a good day!
Until next time,
Ray
