Trying to find food that\u2019s delicious and good for you can be a challenge, especially if you\u2019re not sure what to look for on a nutrition label. <\/p>\n
But that nutrition label is a powerful tool.<\/a> Even with so much healthy marketing on the front of a package, you can use the nutrition information on the back to help you sort out which foods actually supports your health goals.<\/p>\n Once you know how to prioritize the information on the label, navigating food choices isn\u2019t as intimidating as it may seem. <\/p>\n Nutrition Tip of the Day: When Looking at a Nutrition Label, Check This First<\/p>\n When looking at a nutrition label on food, registered dietitian Natalie Rizzo says she looks at the ingredients list first. Then she checks the amount of added sugar<\/a> in the product. <\/p>\n \u201cThat gives me a fast snapshot of the overall quality of a food and helps me find products I\u2019ll actually enjoy eating,\u201d says Rizzo, who is also TODAY\u2019s nutrition editor.<\/p>\n Why It Matters<\/p>\n The ingredient list \u201ctells me what\u2019s actually in the food before I even look at the numbers,\u201d Rizzo says. \u201cI want to see recognizable, whole-food ingredients near the top of the list. I look for foods like oats, beans, whole grains, nuts or fruit, rather than a long list of refined ingredients and additives.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s also not a fan of the taste of stevia or other non-nutritive sweeteners<\/a>, so she looks to the ingredients list to quickly weed out products that contain them. <\/p>\n And the added sugar numbers further help break through \u201chealthy\u201d marketing claims, she says.<\/p>\n \u201cMany packaged foods can seem healthy based on front-of-package claims, but the ingredient list and added sugar line often tell a different story,\u201d Rizzo explains. <\/p>\n \u201cFor some foods, like yogurt, I expect the ingredient list to be fairly short, but the nutrition facts panel tells how much added sugar has been mixed in.\u201d<\/p>\n How to Get Started<\/p>\n Nutrition labels can be confusing, but once you know how to read them, they actually make eating so much simpler. <\/p>\n If the ingredients and added sugar look good to you, here are a few other things to keep in mind when selecting a food, Dr. Ian Smith told TODAY previously<\/a>:<\/p>\n And when it comes to added sugar, less is generally better. As a rule of thumb, Smith recommends choosing foods that have no more than sugar at 6-7 grams of added sugar per serving.<\/p>\n\n