Spotting Questionable Ingredients
When it comes to ingredient labels, there’s a lot of confusion. How do you know if the product you’re buying is good quality?
There are a few clues that may help guide you to good decisions:
1) The fewer the ingredients the better. If it has a long list and you can’t pronounce some of the ingredients, it’s probably best to skip it.
2) Ingredients are listed in order by the amounts contained in the product. The first ingredient is the largest percentage in the product and the last ingredient is the least.
3) If it says sugar free, fat free, or heart healthy - buyer beware. Check the ingredients for questionable non caloric sweetners or added sugar that’s replacing the fat. Many times, manufactures will use multiple different sugars.
4) If it’s a salad dressing, condiment, baked good, butter replacement, chips, or crackers - confirm the fats/oils it’s using. If it’s a vegetable seed oil, it’s best to put it back. These fats are inflammatory and can introduce free radicals. You can learn more about these harmful oils here and here. Look for better options like avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil, etc.
5) When considering canned items like coconut milk and non-dairy milks - check for emulsifiers and additives. These can be hard on the gut (1).
6) If you’re in the mood for candy or a sweet treat - check to be sure it doesn’t include any artificial flavors or colors. This post will tell you about some of the reasons you’ll want to steer clear.
7) If you’re thinking about lunch meats, cured meats, bacon, sausage, etc. You’ll want to confirm it doesn’t included added preservatives like nitrites or nitrates as these may have cancer implications (1). You’ll want naturally derived options that use things like celery salt instead.
8) When you’re looking at shelf-stable items - anything in a bag or box, be sure it’s not using questionable preservatives. For example, dried fruits are notorious for using sulfur as a preservative because it prevents browning (1). These sulfite preservatives can cause asthma and allergy symptoms, as well as stomach aches, amongst other things (1).
References
(1) Ballentyne, S., PhD (2017). Paleo Principles. Canada: Victory Belt
(2) Nutritional Therapy Association. Blood Sugar Regulation Guide - Names of Refined Sugar. Olympia, WA.