Ever stood in the supermarket comparing two cereals and wondered which one is the healthier choice?
Buying whole foods (e.g. fruit and vegies) is best, but we know pre-packaged foods can make life easier. With health claims, star ratings and long ingredient lists, food labels can feel confusing. The good news is that you don’t need to be a nutrition expert to make healthier choices.
Here are four simple label-reading tips to help you shop with confidence.
The Health Star Rating on packaged foods gives the food a star rating from ½ a star to 5 stars and is a quick and easy way to compare similar foods.
This means you compare like foods e.g. yoghurt with yoghurt or breakfast cereal with breakfast cereal – don’t compare yoghurt products with breakfast cereal products.
When comparing like foods – choose the product that has more stars.
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Some foods don’t have a Health Star Rating so looking at the ingredients list and Nutrition Information Panel can be helpful (see point 3).
The ingredients in a product are listed in order from the largest amount to the smallest amount. This means the product contains more of the first ingredient.
Choose products with the smallest number of ingredients on the list, as they are usually less processed. Choose products with the smallest number of ingredients on the list, as they are usually less processed. Look for whole food ingredients like oats, wholemeal flour, nuts, seeds and legumes like chickpeas.
Limit products with ingredients that will contribute saturated fat, salt or added sugars. Check out our table below for names that can be used on the label to describe fat, sugar or salt.
| SATURATED FAT | SUGARS | SALT OR SODIUM |
| – Animal fat/oil | – Glucose | – Baking powder |
| – Beef fat | – Sucrose | – Meat/yeast extract |
| – Coconut oil/milk/cream | – Dextrose | – Vegetable salt |
| – Copha | – Malt | – Sodium ascorbate |
| – Ghee | – Maltose | – Sodium bicarbonate |
| – Dripping | – Lactose | – Sodium nitrate/nitrite |
| – Lard | – Raw sugar | – Monosodium glutamate (MSG) |
| – Suet | – Coconut sugar | |
| – Palm oil | ||
| – Vegetable shortening |
The NIP displays information on the food’s energy (kilojoules), protein, total fat, saturated fat, total carbohydrate, sugars, sodium (salt), and sometimes other nutrients such as dietary fibre or calcium. The amount in the food is provided per 100g or 100mL and per serve.
Use the per 100g or 100mL column to compare similar products as serving sizes can vary between brands.
Here’s a guide to what to look for on the per 100g column:
| Nutrient – per 100g/ml | ✅ Best choice |
🟡 Ok sometimes
|
🔴 Limit
|
| Saturated Fat | Less than 1.5g | 1.5g-3g | More than 3g |
| Sugar – in food | Less than 5g | 5-15g | More than 15g |
| Sugar – in drinks | Less than 2.5g | 2.5-5g | Over 5g |
| Salt or Sodium | Less than 120mg | 120-400mg | More than 400mg |
Quick tip: choose produces with less saturated fat, sugar and sodium and more fibre.
Many products have claims on their labels such as ‘low fat’, ‘reduced salt’ or ‘good source of fibre’. Nutrition content claims are claims about the content of a certain nutrient in a food, so they can be helpful when shopping for products that are lower or higher in a specific nutrient. The product has to comply with criteria set out in Standard 1.2.7 of the Food Standard Code to be permitted to carry a nutrient claim.
However just because a food is ‘high’ or ‘low’ in a certain nutrient, that doesn’t automatically make it healthy. It’s important to look at the whole product, for example, marshmallows may have a ‘low in fat’ claim which may be true, however they are very high in sugar and low in other nutrients that our bodies need so not a healthy option.
Some products use marketing buzzwords such as ‘natural, ‘made with real fruit’, ‘no added colours’, ‘no nasties’, ‘sugar free’, which may come across as ‘healthy’ but in reality, may not be. These buzzwords aren’t regulated and are there purely for marketing purposes to lead you to think they are healthy. Always turn the pack over and check the ingredients list and Nutrition Information Panel.
The Food Switch app is a handy tool when shopping. This handy app allows you to scan the bar code on a product and it will suggest a healthier product to ‘switch’ to.
Before putting a product in your trolley, ask yourself:
✅ Does it have a higher Health Star Rating than similar products?
✅ Are whole food ingredients listed near the top of the ingredients list?
✅ Is it low in saturated fat, sugar and sodium?
✅ Does it contain fibre?
✅ Am I looking beyond the marketing claims?
Not necessarily. Some products may be low in one nutrient but high in others. For example, a product labelled “low fat” may still be high in sugar. It’s always a good idea to check the ingredients list and Nutrition Information Panel before making a decision.
When choosing packaged foods, look for:
Nutrition content claims such as “low salt” or “source of fibre” must meet specific criteria set by the Food Standards Code. However, marketing terms such as “no nasties” or “natural” are not regulated in the same way and don’t necessarily mean a product is healthier.
Reading food labels doesn’t have to be complicated. Before putting a packaged food in your trolley, take 30 seconds to check the Health Star Rating, ingredients list and Nutrition Information Panel. With a little practice, reading food labels becomes an easy way to make healthier choices for you and your family.
Remember, no single number or claim tells the whole story. Looking at the bigger picture of what’s in a product is the best way to shop smarter and feel more confident about the foods you bring home.
For more ideas on healthy shopping, check out our blog 10 things you should know before you go shopping.
© Cancer Council NSW 2024 Head Office Address: 153 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011. Cancer Council NSW is registered with the Australian Taxation Office as an Income Tax Exempt Charity: Charitable Fundraising Authority No. 18521.
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