Episode 274: How to Read a Nutrition Label Without It Feeling Diet-y

“A nutrition facts label for one particular food cannot take the context of your meal or day of eating into account.”

In a world that is constantly telling you to eat less, micromanage what you eat, and track nutritional values of every food, I want to shed some light on the background and reality of food nutrition labels.

There is diet culture baked into nutrition facts labels in ways you probably don’t even realize. Something that was designed to give us information about food can quickly become a source of food rules, anxiety, guilt, and shame. Maybe you feel guilty for eating more than one serving of cookies. Maybe you’ve looked at the calories on a package to decide whether or not you were allowed to eat it. Or maybe you’ve assumed that because the label says one serving, that must be the amount you are supposed to eat. And rebel, that is not what a nutrition facts label is meant to tell you. 

I’m breaking down what nutrition facts labels can actually tell you, what they can’t, and how to actually read and use labels in a way that supports a positive relationship with food. It’s all about how to shift your focus from using nutrition information to decide what you should cut out, to using it as a tool for figuring out what you might want to add in.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why the 2,000-calorie reference point on nutrition labels does not represent the individual energy needs of most people
• Why a serving size is a reference amount, not a rule or recommendation for how much you should eat
• How to use nutrition labels to help you add nutrition, energy, fiber, or protein instead of focusing on what you should restrict
• How to recognize when nutrition labels are overriding your hunger and fullness cues or contributing to guilt, shame, and food rules
• Why the information on a nutrition label lacks the context of your individual needs, hunger, fullness, and overall meal or day of eating
• How food neutrality and body attunement can help you decide whether nutrition labels are actually supportive for you right now

Nutrition labels are meant to give you information, not control you. Whether you use nutrition labels as a helpful tool, take a break from them, or simply start questioning the rules you’ve attached to those numbers, the goal is to find a way of eating that supports your body and helps you build more trust with yourself.

Resources:

• Read the article about Nutrition Facts Labels
• Grab the Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale and take your next step toward building trust with your body and food
• Connect with me over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebel

Struggling with food, but not sure where to start?

You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you’re tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.