Reading a nutrition label the smart way

A nutrition label only means something once you check the serving size at the top — every number below it is per that serving, and a small pack can quietly hold two or three. Multiply accordingly before you judge anything. Next, look at added sugar rather than total sugar: the sugar naturally in milk or fruit is different from sugar poured in during manufacturing. A short ingredient list, with recognisable items first, usually beats a long one — ingredients are listed heaviest first, so if sugar or oil sits near the top, that's most of what you're buying. Fibre and protein are the numbers worth wanting higher; they keep you full. Don't be fooled by front-of-pack claims like 'light' or 'natural' — they're marketing. The small table on the back is where the truth is.