Shopping
Short questions like what changes when you shop hungry, which line to compare between two similar products, and how to read the discount shelf are answered here.
How do you tell whether fish is fresh?
The eyes, the gills, the smell and the texture are read together; one sign on its own is not enough. The ice on the counter is part of that reading too.
What do the E codes on the label mean?
An E code is not a danger sign but the number of a permitted additive. Which substance it stands for, and the conditions it may be used under, are both defined.
Does the label say sodium or salt?
The mandatory nutrition table says salt. The regulation defines salt with the formula "Salt = Sodium × 2.5"; that is the number you convert with when you see sodium.
Is a gluten-free product for everyone?
For someone diagnosed with celiac disease, a gluten-free product is not a preference but the treatment itself. For someone without that diagnosis, there is no basis showing it is better.
Is organic produce more nutritious?
The organic label shows that the production method has been inspected, not that the nutritional value is high. What the certificate promises and what it does not have to be told apart.
Is a product labeled no added sugar sugar-free?
It is not. The claim says that no sugar was added to the product; the fruit's, the milk's or the grain's own sugar stays where it is in the table, and the legislation has that printed on the package.
Are the use-by date and the best-before date the same thing?
They are not the same thing. One shows the safety limit, the other a quality expectation, and which one is written on which product is defined by legislation.
Should you buy UHT milk or fresh milk?
The difference is in the degree of the heat treatment and in the storage it brings with it. Both are drinking milk; the difference in nutrients is small.
What does the code on an egg tell you?
The first digit shows the farming method: 0 organic, 1 free range, 2 barn without cages, 3 caged. What follows is the country, province and holding information.
What do you look at on the label when buying olive oil?
The class name on the label is not a marketing phrase but the definition the communiqué makes according to acidity and degree of processing. Reading the class means reading how the product was obtained.
How many portions are in the pack?
The values on a pack usually belong to a single portion, not to the whole pack. How many portions the pack divides into is the label's first question.
How do you compare two products from their labels?
The only right way to put two products side by side is to look at the same unit. The portion column changes from brand to brand; the fixed unit does not.
General information notice. This content is prepared to support general nutrition literacy; it does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment and is not personal nutrition advice. A plan tailored to you can only be prepared by a licensed dietitian; if you are pregnant, have a chronic condition, take regular medication, are feeding a child, or have a clinical condition, a physician and dietitian check is required before starting a plan.
Find a Dietitian