The First Thing a Dietitian Looks at on a Nutrition Label to See If a Food Is Healthy - TODAY.com

What the report says

TODAY reported on guidance for reading nutrition labels from registered dietitian Natalie Rizzo, the outlet’s nutrition editor, as part of its “Expert Tip of the Day” series. Rizzo said the first place she looks is the ingredient list, followed by the amount of added sugar, because those details can give a quick sense of a packaged food’s quality and whether it fits a person’s preferences and health goals.

According to TODAY, Rizzo uses the ingredient list to see what a product is made from before focusing on the numerical nutrition panel. She favors recognizable ingredients such as oats, beans, whole grains, nuts and fruit appearing high on the list, rather than products led by refined components or many additives. She also checks for non-nutritive sweeteners, including stevia, because she dislikes their taste.

The article notes that added sugar can be especially useful when front-of-package marketing makes a food appear healthier than it may be. Rizzo pointed to foods such as yogurt, where the ingredient list may be short but the nutrition facts can reveal how much sugar has been added.

TODAY also referenced earlier advice from Dr. Ian Smith on other label items to review, including serving size, calories, protein and fiber. Smith has advised aiming for at least 20 grams of protein per meal and roughly 25 grams of fiber per day, while generally keeping added sugar lower, with a suggested ceiling of about 6 to 7 grams per serving.