Shopping for food used to be simple. You picked up what you needed and moved on.

But now? Every package shouts at you with health claims. “No added sugar!” “Packed with protein!” “A great source of fibre!”

Then you flip it over and find yourself staring at a maze of percentages, grams, and ingredients you can’t pronounce.

And if that wasn’t enough, social media is full of influencers telling you that this ingredient is toxic and that one is ruining your child’s future. No wonder parents feel like they need a PhD in nutrition just to buy a sliced pan!

If you’re tired of second-guessing every food choice, this guide will help you quickly make sense of nutrition labels—so you can shop with confidence (and maybe even get out of the supermarket faster!).

Trying to make sense of yet another food label—sound familiar?

Why Bother Reading Nutrition Labels?

It’s tempting to trust whatever the front of the pack tells you—after all, who has time to analyse every product when you’re racing through the supermarket with a toddler in tow? But food packaging is designed to sell you something, not necessarily to give you the whole picture. That’s where the nutrition label comes in.

Here’s why it’s worth a quick glance:

• See What’s Really Inside: Labels give you the facts—so you can check things like fibre, sugar, or whether a product actually contains the ingredient it’s bragging about.
• Make Informed Choices: Instead of relying on packaging claims, you can quickly check if a product fits your family’s needs, whether that’s looking for an iron-rich cereal or a orange juice with added calcium.
• Spot Misleading Claims: Terms like natural, refined sugar free, or high in protein might sound great, but they don’t always mean what you think. A quick label check helps you see past the marketing spin.

With just a little know-how, you can cut through the noise, feel more confident in your choices, and get on with your shopping—without overthinking every item in your trolley.

So many numbers, so much confusion—what does it really mean?

What’s Required on Food Labels (and What’s Just Marketing)?

Food labels in the EU include a mix of mandatory and optional information, and knowing the difference can help you focus on what actually matters—rather than getting sidetracked by clever marketing.

What’s Mandatory? (i.e., the important stuff)

By law, all packaged foods must include:
✔️ Key nutrition info per 100g or 100ml, including energy (in kcal and kJ), fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugars, protein, and salt.
✔️ An ingredients list, ordered from highest to lowest by weight, so you know exactly what’s in your food.
✔️ Allergen information, which must be clearly highlighted (bold, underlined, or in a different colour).

What’s Optional? (i.e., the extras)

Some information is added voluntarily by brands to make products look healthier or easier to understand, including:
Nutrient claims like “low fat” or “source of protein.” These are regulated, but they’re still designed to catch your eye.
Front-of-pack symbols like the traffic light system. While these can be useful, they’re often based on adult daily requirements, which don’t always reflect what’s best for kids.

Knowing what’s legally required helps you quickly find the essentials—and avoid getting swayed by claims that might not mean much for your family’s needs.

What’s “High” and What’s “Low”? Understanding Nutrient Content

Food labels often show nutrient content per 100g or 100ml, making it easy to compare products. But what actually counts as “a lot” or “a little” of things like sugar, fat, or salt? These benchmarks are useful for context, but they don’t mean you should aim for “low” levels across the board—especially when feeding children.

How Much Is “A Lot” or “A Little”?

These general guidelines help put food labels into perspective:

Sugar

A lot: More than 22.5g per 100g
A little: 5g or less per 100g

Salt

A lot: More than 1.5g per 100g
A little: 0.3g or less per 100g

Fat

A lot: More than 17.5g per 100g
A little: 3g or less per 100g

These numbers are useful for comparing similar products—say, choosing between two brands of cereal or yogurt. But they don’t tell you whether a food is good or bad. Some foods naturally contain more fat, sugar, or salt while still being nutritious and important for children.

Credit: Irish Heart Foundation

Why “Low Fat” Isn’t Always Better for Kids

For young children—especially under 2 years old—choosing low-fat or reduced-fat foods isn’t usually recommended. Here’s why:

They Need Energy – Full-fat dairy provides important calories and key nutrients like vitamins A and D to support growth.
Healthy Fats Support Development – Foods like avocados, nuts, seeds, and oily fish contain fats that are essential for brain development.
⚖️ Low-Fat ≠ Healthier – Many reduced-fat products add sugar or other fillers to maintain taste and texture, which aren’t always beneficial for kids.

For older children and adults, reducing fat intake may be useful in some cases, but for little ones, full-fat options are typically the best choice—unless advised otherwise by a healthcare professional.

Not Everything Needs to Be “Low”

It’s easy to assume that lower numbers are always better, but food isn’t that black and white. These benchmarks help with comparisons, but they don’t tell the whole story. For example:

A fruit yogurt might look high in sugar, but much of that comes from lactose (naturally occurring milk sugar), and it’s also a great source of calcium and protein.
A wholemeal bread might have a moderate salt content, but it’s also high in fiber and key nutrients that support digestion and overall health.

Rather than aiming for “low” across the board, focus on balance—choosing a mix of foods that work together to meet your family’s nutritional needs.

Key Takeaway

Understanding what’s “a lot” and “a little” on a food label helps you compare products and balance choices across meals. Some foods will naturally be higher in sugar, fat, or salt, and that’s okay. The goal isn’t to stress over every number—it’s to look at the bigger picture of what your family eats most of the time.

Jam might be ‘high in sugar’ on the label, but it can still be part of a balanced meal—and a tasty way to introduce fruit flavours!

Spotlight on Sugar: What’s the Difference Between Free and Natural Sugars?

Sugar can be one of the most confusing things on a food label. That’s because all sugars—whether from fruit, dairy, or added during processing—are lumped together under “total sugar.” But not all sugars are the same, and understanding the difference can help you make informed choices, especially for young children.

Natural Sugars (Not a Concern)

These are the sugars naturally present in whole foods like fruit, vegetables, and dairy. They come packaged with fiber, vitamins, and minerals that support health and digestion.

✔️ Lactose (the sugar in milk) comes with protein, calcium, and essential nutrients.
✔️ Fructose (the sugar in whole fruit) is balanced by fiber, which slows sugar absorption and supports digestion.

These sugars aren’t something to worry about—they’re part of a balanced diet and provide valuable nutrients.

Free Sugars (The Ones to Limit)

Free sugars are those added to foods during processing or cooking, plus the sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juice, and fruit concentrates. Unlike natural sugars, free sugars don’t come with the same nutritional benefits and can contribute to excess calorie intake without adding key nutrients.

For young children, excess free sugar can increase the risk of tooth decay and take up space in their diet that could be filled with more nutrient-rich foods.

Note: The World Health Organization (WHO) and other public health bodies recommend limiting free sugars, but they do not recommend restricting naturally occurring sugars in whole foods like fruit, vegetables, or dairy.

How to Spot Free Sugars on a Label

Free sugars aren’t always obvious, but you can find clues in the ingredients list. Look for words like:

Sugar, syrup, honey, nectar, concentrate, purée, juice

Position matters! Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight—so if sugar (or a sugar alternative) is near the top, it’s a key ingredient.

How to Interpret Sugar Content on Labels

Because food labels don’t separate free and natural sugars, here’s how to make sense of them:

Check the ingredients list – If there’s no added sugar or fruit concentrate, the sugar is likely from natural sources.
Compare brands – Some yogurts, cereals, and sauces contain significantly more free sugar than others.
Think about context – If a food is high in total sugar but made from whole ingredients (like plain yogurt or whole fruit), it’s not the same as something with lots of added sugar.

If it says ‘Frosted,’ it means sugary—no label reading needed! ❄️

Practical Example: Comparing Two Yogurts

Let’s say you’re choosing between two yogurts:

Plain, unsweetened yogurt → 5g of total sugar per 100g
✅ No added sugar in the ingredients list.
✅ All 5g is natural lactose from milk.

Flavored yogurt → 12g of total sugar per 100g
The ingredients list includes sugar or fruit concentrate → meaning some of that sugar is added.
About 5g is natural lactose, while 7g is free sugar.

Key Takeaway

Understanding free vs. natural sugars is about context. Foods with natural sugars—like fruit, milk, and plain yogurt—are part of a balanced diet and provide key nutrients.

✔️ Free sugar is something to be mindful of, but not something to fear.
✔️ It’s okay for kids to have a little free sugar as part of a varied diet—balance is key!
✔️ The best approach? Check the ingredients list, choose foods with minimal free sugar where possible, and keep things relaxed.

By focusing on nutritional value rather than just sugar numbers, you can make confident choices without unnecessary stress.

Both can be good choices! The plain one has only milk sugar, while the strawberry one includes some free sugars from added sugar, purée, and juice—just something to be aware of!

Nutrition and Health Claims – What Do They Really Mean?

Food packaging is full of appealing claims—“low fat,” “high in protein,” “good for your bones.” But what do these actually tell you? While these claims are regulated in the EU to ensure they’re accurate and not misleading, they don’t always give the full picture. Understanding them can help you shop smarter without falling for clever marketing (or overpaying for something that’s not much different from the cheaper option beside it!).

What Are Nutrition Claims?

Nutrition claims highlight the presence, absence, or amount of a nutrient in a food. These are strictly defined under EU law so that when you see a claim, you know exactly what it means. For example:

✅ “Low fat” = No more than 3g of fat per 100g (or 1.5g per 100ml for liquids).
✅ “Source of fibre” = At least 3g of fibre per 100g.
✅ “Reduced sugar” = At least 30% less sugar than a similar product.

These claims can be useful for quick comparisons, but they don’t tell you whether a product is nutritionally balanced. A “reduced sugar” cereal might still be packed with salt, or a high-protein yogurt might have more added sugar than the regular version.

And here’s the kicker—products with big health claims often come with a higher price tag, even if a cheaper alternative is nutritionally very similar. Always check the label before paying extra for a claim that might not make much difference.

What Are Health Claims?

Health claims go beyond nutrients and describe a relationship between a food and your health. These must be backed by strong scientific evidence and approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) before they can appear on packaging. Some examples:

“Calcium is necessary for the maintenance of normal bones.”
“Oats can help reduce cholesterol as part of a healthy diet.”

There are even stricter rules for claims linked to disease prevention or children’s health, such as “Vitamin D helps reduce the risk of bone fractures.” These require companies to provide even more scientific proof before approval.

How Are These Claims Regulated?

To keep things fair and transparent:

✔️ All nutrition and health claims must meet EU-set criteria.
✔️ Health claims must be EFSA-approved before they can appear on food labels.
✔️ Claims about disease risk reduction require even stronger scientific backing before they’re allowed.

This means claims aren’t just made up—but it also doesn’t mean the product is automatically a healthy choice. A yogurt boasting about its calcium content might still be high in added sugar, for example.

How to Use These Claims Wisely

While nutrition and health claims can help guide your choices, they shouldn’t be the only thing you rely on. Here’s how to put them in context:

Check the Full Label: Claims highlight just one aspect of a food—flip the pack over and check the nutrition table to get the bigger picture.
Compare Products (and Prices!): A claim might sound good, but looking at similar products—especially store brands—can help you find a more budget-friendly option that’s just as nutritious.
Think About the Whole Diet: A single food won’t make or break a healthy diet—focus on variety and balance rather than getting caught up in individual claims.

By understanding what these claims actually mean—and their limitations—you can shop with confidence, make informed choices, and avoid paying extra for clever marketing. For more details, check out the EUFIC guide on nutrition claims.

What Food Labels Can (and Can’t) Tell You: The Ketchup Example

Ketchup often gets labeled as a “bad food” because of its sugar and salt content, but the reality is more nuanced. Food labels provide useful information, but understanding how to interpret them in context is just as important.

What the Label Can Tell You

A food label gives you a breakdown of key nutrients per 100g, which can sometimes make numbers look more alarming than they actually are. For example:

• A standard ketchup might contain 22.8g of sugar and 1.8g of salt per 100g.
• A lower-sugar version might list 9.4g of sugar and 0.94g of salt per 100g.

At first glance, this looks like a massive difference—but most people don’t eat ketchup by the 100g!

Understanding Serving Sizes

Labels report values per 100g, but real-world portions are much smaller. For example:

• A typical portion of ketchup (about 15g or one tablespoon) contains:
  • 3–4g of sugar in standard versions
  • 1–2g of sugar in lower-sugar options
• The actual difference between brands? About 2g of sugar per tablespoon—not a huge amount if ketchup is used occasionally.

This highlights why serving size matters when reading labels. What looks “high” per 100g might be minimal in a realistic portion.

What the Label Can’t Tell You

While food labels focus on nutrients, they don’t capture the full picture of a food’s role in your diet. For example:

Ketchup is a Source of Lycopene – This antioxidant, found in tomatoes, has been linked to heart health. While you won’t see it listed on the label, it’s a potential benefit of including ketchup in meals.

It Can Be a “Condiment Bridge” for Kids – Ketchup can make unfamiliar meals feel safer for children hesitant about new foods. It might help them accept new textures, flavors, or even tomatoes themselves over time.

Making Choices Based on the Label

If you’re choosing a ketchup, here’s how to use the label practically:

✔️ Compare Brands, But Keep Perspective – Lower-sugar options exist, but they often cost more or taste slightly different. Sometimes, a reduced-sugar ketchup can be six times more expensive than a regular one, for a difference of just 2g of sugar per tablespoon.

✔️ Think About Frequency – A lower-sugar or lower-salt version might be worth considering if ketchup is a staple in your house. And if it’s acceptable to those eating it! I like the original one! If it’s an occasional condiment, there’s no need to overthink it.

✔️ Balance with Other Foods – If the rest of the meal is low in added sugars and salt, using regular ketchup is unlikely to be a concern.

Takeaway

Ketchup is a great example of why food labels are just one piece of the puzzle. While they give valuable information about sugar and salt content, they don’t tell you that ketchup is a source of lycopene or that it can help a child become more adventurous with food. By looking at both the label and the bigger picture, you can make decisions that work for your family—without unnecessary stress.

Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs): A Practical Perspective

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are often a hot topic in health discussions, with plenty of strong opinions on both sides. The reality? They’re part of modern life—some can be useful, while others may not offer much nutritionally. The key is knowing how they fit into your family’s overall diet.

What Are UPFs?

UPFs are foods that have undergone significant processing and often include ingredients you wouldn’t typically find in a home kitchen—things like emulsifiers, stabilizers, and flavor enhancers. Examples include packaged snacks, sugary cereals, instant noodles, and flavored drinks.

The Bigger Picture: Convenience vs. Nutrition

• Why People Choose Them: UPFs are quick, affordable, and often fortified with essential nutrients like iron, B vitamins, and calcium—things that can be helpful in a child’s diet.
• What to Keep in Mind: Some UPFs are lower in fiber and protein or higher in added sugars and salt, which can make them less filling and easy to overconsume. But it’s the overall diet that matters, not just individual foods.

Finding a Balanced Approach

Rather than stressing over labels or feeling pressured to eliminate UPFs completely, here’s how to keep perspective:

• Look at the Whole Diet: A mix of whole and processed foods can absolutely be part of a nutritious diet. Fresh fruit alongside a fortified cereal? That works. A homemade meal with a shop-bought sauce? No problem.
• Make Thoughtful Choices: Not all UPFs are created equal. Some are useful sources of nutrients, while others might be more of an occasional choice. Checking labels can help you spot products that work best for your family.
• Keep It Flexible: There’s no need to avoid UPFs entirely. Instead, think about how they fit into your family’s overall eating habits—because a realistic, balanced diet is always better than a perfect one that’s impossible to stick to.

If you’d like to dive deeper into UPFs and what they really mean for our diets, this article from Food Unfolded offers a great overview.

Conclusion

Final Thoughts: Making Food Labels Work for You

If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a food label, trying to decode grams, percentages, and marketing claims while doing the weekly shop, you’re not alone. Food labels are a useful tool, but they’re not the only thing that matters when choosing food for your family.

Instead of feeling pressured to memorise every number or avoid certain ingredients completely, focus on what actually helps:

• Use labels as a guide, not a rulebook. They’re there to give you information, not to tell you what you should or shouldn’t buy.
• Think about context. A food might be high in sugar per 100g, but if you’re only eating a spoonful, does it really matter?
• Balance is key. No single food makes or breaks a healthy diet—what you eat most of the time is what counts.

So next time you’re in the supermarket, trying to get through the weekly shop without it taking an hour, you can glance at a label, take what you need from it, and move on—without overthinking every choice. Because feeding your family should feel doable, not like a test.

Download my Food Labels 101 guide now and simplify your next supermarket trip!