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Beginner’s Guide to Reading Nutrition Labels (A Simple Breakdown)
There was a time when I’d pick something up in the supermarket, turn it over, glance at the ingredients… and quietly put it back. Not because I didn’t want it, but because the label looked like it was written in another language entirely.
With gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance, and multiple chronic digestive conditions, knowing what I eat isn’t a lifestyle choice — it’s part of managing my health. Still, that doesn’t make food labels any less overwhelming. Some days, the list of ingredients feels longer than the product itself.
Lately, I’ve been making a conscious effort to actually understand nutrition labels rather than avoiding them. Not perfectly. Not obsessively. Just enough to feel confident and informed. If you’re at the beginning of that journey too, this simple breakdown is for you.
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Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. The information provided on www.JoLinsdell.com does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only.
Why Nutrition Labels Are Worth Paying Attention To
Nutrition labels aren’t there to tell you how to eat — they’re there to help you make decisions that work for you.
For anyone dealing with food intolerances or digestive issues, labels can:
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Help prevent accidental flare-ups
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Reveal hidden sources of gluten or lactose
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Make food shopping less stressful over time
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Put you back in control of what you’re eating
They’re not about restriction. They’re about clarity.
Ingredients First, Always
Before I even glance at calories or fat content, I go straight to the ingredients list. This is where the most important information lives.
How to read it
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Ingredients are listed from highest to lowest quantity
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The first few items make up most of the product
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A very long list often means the food is highly processed
That doesn’t mean it’s automatically off-limits — it just means it deserves a closer look.
Allergen Labelling Under EU Law
One helpful thing about shopping in the EU is that food labelling is strictly regulated under EU Regulation No. 1169/2011.
This means 14 major allergens must be clearly highlighted in the ingredients list — usually in bold or capital letters.
For those of us avoiding gluten or lactose, this includes:
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Cereals containing gluten (such as wheat, barley, and rye)
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Milk and milk products (including lactose)
Even trace ingredients must be declared if they’re deliberately added, which makes labels far more reliable than they used to be.
What “May Contain” Actually Means
“May contain” warnings relate to cross-contamination, not ingredients.
They’re voluntary under EU law and usually indicate shared equipment or production facilities. How seriously you take them depends on your own sensitivity — I use them as a guide rather than an automatic no, but everyone’s tolerance is different.
The Nutrition Table: What’s Worth Noticing
The numbers can feel intimidating, but you don’t need to analyse everything.
I usually focus on:
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Fat and saturates (important for digestion)
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Sugars (especially in foods marketed as ‘healthy’)
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Salt (easy to overlook)
Calories matter less to me than how a food makes me feel afterwards — and that’s something labels can’t fully predict, but they can hint at.
Per 100g vs Per Portion: Which Should You Trust?
Most labels show both, and they serve different purposes.
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Per 100g is useful for comparing products
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Per portion shows what the manufacturer thinks you’ll eat — which isn’t always realistic
If I’m choosing between two similar items, I compare the 100g values. If I’m checking how something might affect me, I look at the portion size too.
Front-of-Pack Claims Aren’t the Whole Story
Terms like:
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“Gluten-free”
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“Lactose-free”
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“Natural”
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“Low fat”
are regulated in the EU, but they still don’t tell the whole story.
A gluten-free product can still upset your digestion. A lactose-free item can still be heavy on sugar or additives. Turning the packet over is where the useful information lives.
When Ingredients Look Like Science Experiments
Some ingredients sound alarming simply because they’re unfamiliar. Not everything you can’t pronounce is harmful — and not everything that sounds wholesome will agree with your digestion.
Over time, you’ll start recognising which ingredients your body tolerates and which ones it doesn’t. That knowledge builds slowly, and that’s okay.
Progress, Not Perfection
Learning to read nutrition labels isn’t about becoming an expert overnight. It’s about:
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Taking a few extra seconds in the supermarket
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Feeling less confused and more confident
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Making choices that support your health, not complicate it
I’m still learning. I still get it wrong sometimes. But every label I understand is one less mystery on my plate — and that feels like progress.
It’s also helped me shift my mindset around food in general. Approaching eating as something empowering rather than restrictive makes the whole process far more manageable — which is why I love reminders like Quotes That Make Clean Eating Feel Empowering, Not Restrictive. They reinforce that being mindful about what you eat isn’t about punishment or perfection, it’s about feeling supported and in control.
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