How to Read Food Labels: Common Terminology

Note: The terms discussed in this article refer specifically to labels in the United States, because they are based on definitions from the US government.

Food labels frequently use terms such as "lite" or "light", "reduced", "less", and "low", but most people do not realize these terms have specific meanings with regards to food labels and they can provide you with more information than you might initially realize. It is also important to note that products using these terms are not necessarily better than similar products without them.

First, "lite" and "light" are considered to be identical terms and they can be used interchangeably on nutritional labels. For the purpose of this article I will use "light" to represent both terms. If a label says "light," the product must be an altered version of an existing food and have either 1/3 fewer calories or 1/2 the fat than the regular version (with the same serving size). A product can also be labeled as "light" if it is low-fat, low-calorie, and has less than 1/2 of the sodium content of the regular food.

If a product uses the words "reduced" or "less" as in sugar, fat, calories, etc., it means the food has at least 1/4 less of the particular ingredient specified than its original version. For example, a food that is labeled reduced fat will have at least 25% fewer fat calories, in a serving size of the same weight, as compared to the original food. Foods in their natural form, such as unprocessed fruits and vegetables can never be labeled "light," "reduced," or "less" even if they are low in fat, calories, and sodium. These terms only apply to foods that have been processed or changed in some way.

The term "low" can be used in conjunction with 5 different ingredients (calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium, or cholesterol) and they always refer to a 100g (gram) serving of food. Low-calorie = 140 calories or less per serving, low-fat = 3g or 30 calories of fat or less per serving, low-saturated fat = 1g or 10 calories of saturated fat or less per serving, low-sodium = 140mg or less per serving, and low-cholesterol = 20mg of cholesterol or less and it must also have 2g of saturated fat or less per serving.

You may have noticed there is no definition listed for low-carb. This is because there is no officially recognized or definition of low-carb and there are no restrictions for placing this label on products. If the term "low" is used with any ingredient, other than the 5 listed above, it is essentially meaningless. To illustrate this point, I recently saw a package of "low-carb" rice, which was ridiculous, considering the rice contained about 90% carbs.

Understanding these terms is a big first step, but it is important to know that just because something has a label such as "low-fat," it does not guarantee the low-fat product is any healthier than the original version. In some cases (especially sweets), fat calories are replaced with sugar, so the product may be lower in fat, but just as unhealthy. In other cases, natural ingredients are replaced with artificial ingredients that have fewer calories. Sometimes the added ingredients are not bad, but frequently these ingredients can cause negative reactions, such as indigestion or a decrease in energy level.

Additionally, some people think that if an item has less fat, sugar, etc. they can eat more of it without having negative consequences. It is actually common for people to end up consuming more total calories and gaining fat even though they are eating low-fat or low-calorie products. Of course, these products are generally marketed to people trying to lose weight (fat) and companies want people to feel as though eating low-fat or low-calorie products will result in fat loss.

Unfortunately, the end result is often that these types of foods ultimately hinder weight loss instead of helping it. Long-term improvements in health and fat loss rarely result from replacing regular unhealthy products with their low-fat or low-calorie variations. Real positive change usually comes from improving everyday habits and embracing a healthy lifestyle including proper nutrition and exercise.