Grocery shopping can be a bit overwhelming, especially when you’re trying a new way of eating. Primal, paleo, keto, Whole30, vegetarian, vegan — all with their own set of guidelines for what foods are “allowed” and which foods you should limit or avoid.
Food labels on the front of packages allow you to scan your supermarket shelves and quickly gather product information. Depending on the diet or food plan you’re following, you may decide whether to get an item based on:
- Type of food or ingredient: whether it contains grains, animal products, junk food, added sugars, etc.
- Macronutrient profile: low carb, low fat, keto
- How the ingredients are grown or harvested: organic vs conventional, wild vs farm, etc
However, deciphering food labels can be quite complicated. Some claims are subject to strict labeling standards, but others are buzzwords meant to get your attention and make you think a product is healthy. “Natural” is a good example of the latter. It sounds like something you want, but the term isn’t regulated, so it doesn’t denote anything specific in the end.
Consumers learn for themselves which labels make sense and are right for you. That way, you can effectively find the products that best suit your needs without being lured in by meaningless claims and marketing hype.
How Food Labels Can Help You Shop Smarter
Food labels are heuristics — tools for making quick judgments about what items are up your alley. They can be especially helpful if you’re following a strict diet of what’s and isn’t followed, such as the AIP, or if you have dietary restrictions (you must avoid gluten). or milk, for example).
However, the icons and statements on the front of the pack only tell you so much. They don’t tell you if a particular product meets your needs private standard. I’m pretty sure most Primals wouldn’t pick up a box of Raisin Bran cereal just because it says “Heart Healthy” on the front and carries the Oldways Whole Grain Council’s Whole Grain Stamp™. Similarly, a food can call itself “keto-friendly” and still be made with canola or other oils that you would normally avoid.
Picky shoppers should start by deciding which qualities are most important to them. Maybe you favor organic and non-GMO foods, but you might be less concerned with certified keto or vegan. If your doctor has told you that you must follow a low-sodium diet, you may want to know how the FDA regulates sodium content claims, while the rest of us may not need to. have to worry about that.
The next step is to find out what the different labels really mean. Who is responsible for issuing certain certifications or warranties, and what standards must a product meet to earn a particular logo? Some food labels and claims contain more information than others.
When shopping, scan the shelves for certification symbols and pre-marked claims. However, before deciding whether or not, Flip products over, read ingredient lists, and check nutrition facts to confirm they’re right for you. Here are some labels and icons that Primal consumers may find useful.
Food labels for Primal, Paleo and Keto shoppers
Note: Here are some common food labels that you may want to look for, but keep in mind that it is by no means an exhaustive list. If you live outside of the United States, your products may carry different labels.
Paleo
Certified Paleo™: Issued by the Paleo Foundation. Certified that the product does not contain grains, legumes, dairy, artificial colors, preservatives, artificial sweeteners or artificial flavours. They also have rules governing allowed ingredients, including approved fats and oils, sweeteners, meats and seafood.
Keto
Keto Certified™: Released by the Paleo Foundation. Products may not contain partially hydrogenated oils or trans fats, artificial sweeteners (saccharin, cyclamate, acesulfame, aspartame, sucralose) or artificial flavors. Approved ingredients include everything you’d find in the Original Food Pyramid, including dairy. In this case, grains and legumes We allowed as long as the product does not exceed the carbohydrate limit: Meals and meal replacements may not contain more than 10 grams of starch per serving; snacks with no more than 6 grams of starch per serving; and seasonings with no more than 2 grams of net carbs per 0.5-ounce serving.
In the United States, the word “keto” cannot appear on USDA-inspected meat, poultry, or egg products. The FDA considers keto a “medical diet” and the USDA, which is responsible for labeling meat, poultry, and eggs, does not allow health claims. It’s a good reminder that food labels can certainly be helpful, but you shouldn’t rely solely on them to make your shopping decisions. Meat, poultry, and eggs are staples of most keto diets, regardless of what the packaging says (or in this case, it doesn’t).
Whole30
Whole30 Approved®: Consistent with the rules of the Whole30® program, which means no added sugars or sweeteners, grains, legumes, dairy, carrageenan or sulfites. Also must meet Whole30’s Animal Welfare Policy.
Gluten-free
Certified Gluten-Free™: The product has been independently confirmed by the Gluten-Free Certification Body to be gluten-free. To achieve certification, a product and its ingredients must not exceed the gluten threshold of 10 ppm (parts per million).
In the United States, a food manufacturer can also label a product gluten-free under the FDA if the product contains less than 20 ppm of gluten and does not use gluten-containing grains (wheat, rye, rice, etc.) barley) or ingredients derived from such cereals. unless they have been processed to remove gluten.
Vegan
Certified Vegan™: Managed by the Vegan Awareness Foundation. The product must not contain ingredients of animal origin, the ingredients must not be processed with any animal by-products, and must not contain any GMOs of animal origin. Ingredients and finished products may not be tested on animals. Companies certify that manufacturing facilities take steps to avoid cross-contamination with non-vegan products.
Not genetically modified
Verified Non-GMO Project™: The Non-GMO Project’s Seal of Approval affirms that a product is produced without GMOs.
Only eat meat and vegetables?
I’m sure some of you are thinking, “Just eat meat and vegetables, then you won’t have to worry about food labels.” That may be okay for some people, but many foods are labeled completely Primal-friendly. Think sauces and condiments, nut butters, and grain-free flour snacks.
And don’t forget, processed or frozen meat, eggs, fruits and vegetables all have packaging requirements. These also differ in how informative they really are. Fascinating terms like “sustainably raised” or “humanely raised” are not regulated in the U.S. “Cage-free” eggs come from chickens that aren’t caged, but that designation for you know next to nothing about the animal’s diet or living conditions.
Even the “meat and vegetable-only” crowd would benefit from understanding food labels, given that they want to prioritize farming, fishing and animal-raising practices that are better for people and the environment. Here are some of Mark’s Daily Apple Posts that might help you get started:
How about you? What are your priorities when roaming the supermarket?
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