Sometimes food labels are so complex it feels like you need a degree in food science to go grocery shopping – especially if you’re trying to eat less ultra-processed food, or UPF.
Typically made in industrial settings with additives, artificial colors or flavors, and ample sugar, salt, or fat, UPF have been linked to a host of health problems.
Navigating complicated ingredient lists or misleading claims about what’s in a product can make it much harder to eat healthfully.
That’s why EWG supports policies that make it easier for consumers to identify harmful foods and ingredients or get them out of our food supply entirely. More than 40 states across the country have now introduced or passed policies to regulate or remove harmful chemicals in food.
Below are three steps to speed-read the nutrition label on the back of a package or container, starting from the bottom. For some extra help, download EWG’s Healthy Living App to scan products and see EWG’s Food Scores ratings for nutrition, ingredients and processing concerns in more than 150,000 products.
Nutrition facts infographic showing 2/3-cup serving, 230 calories, and annotated tips
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1. Screen the ingredient list
Usually found at the very bottom of the nutrition facts, the ingredient list tells you what the food contains.
What to look for
One or more whole foods, including whole grains like oats, rice, or whole wheat; nuts, seeds or beans; fruits or vegetables; or animal-based foods like dairy, poultry, meat or seafood. These foods provide a variety of important nutrients, like the fiber found in many whole grains, seeds, fruits and vegetables.
Ideally, these ingredients appear at or near the top of the list.
What to avoid
A long list of food chemicals, including sweeteners, artificial or natural colors and flavors, preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilizers and thickeners.
Some of these chemicals have been directly linked to health harms (see the EWG Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Chemicals for our top offenders), while others signal that the food is highly processed.
Until federal agencies define and label UPF, consumers are left to make judgment calls. As we understand more about what makes UPF so harmful to human health, a long list of chemicals on the ingredients label should serve as reason for caution.
If the ingredient list doesn’t look good, you might stop here and pick up a different option. If you’re still not sure, move on to the nutrition facts.
2. Check three key nutrition facts
Most of us get too much added sugar, sodium and saturated fat from the foods we eat. The typical U.S. diet high in these nutrients is associated with higher risk of chronic diseases across the lifespan.
The same nutrients are also frequently found in UPF. Food companies often use them to create foods that are highly palatable, if not downright addictive.
When you’re reading for speed, focus on three key nutrition facts: the percent daily value of saturated fat, sodium and added sugar.
Your daily value is the maximum recommended amount you consume every day. The percentages – listed in bold on the label – tell you how much one serving of this food contributes to the recommended limits.
The Food and Drug Administration has considered a food to be “low in” these nutrients if it contains 5% or less of your daily value for those nutrients and “high in” these nutrients if it contains 20% or more of your daily value.
The FDA criteria for “healthy” nutrient claims released in 2025 contains more detailed guidance by food group.
What to look for
In individual foods, drinks and snacks like baked goods, bars, yogurts, chips and dips:
Saturated fat – 5% to 10% or less of daily value
Sodium – 10% to 15% or less of daily value
Added sugars – 5% to 10% or less of daily value
In main dishes and meals like breakfast sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and frozen dinners:
Saturated fat – 15% to 20% or less of daily value
Sodium – 20% to 30% or less of daily value
Added sugars – 15% to 20% or less of daily value
There are always exceptions. For example, salad dressings made with oil (like olive, avocado, canola, corn, peanut, safflower, soybean and sunflower oils) or snacks made with nuts are likely to have higher levels of saturated fat – but also higher levels of heart-healthy unsaturated fat. Allow yourself flexibility and aim for “better” instead of “best.”
When it comes to added sugar, experts recommend that kids under age 2 avoid these foods altogether. You might find added sugar on the ingredient label as honey, molasses, nectar, juice, syrup or sweeteners ending in “ose.” It’s also good for kids to consume lower-sodium food, because their taste preferences are still developing.
Nutrition labels are based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Kids typically need less than that. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans discusses age-specific nutrient needs in appendix 1, table A1-2. (The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans did not complete a full review of scientific evidence and did not update this guidance.)
3. Confirm the serving size
If you’ve come this far without finding any red flags, you’re probably fairly happy with the food you picked out. Now just look at the suggested serving size.
What to look for
An amount you’re likely to eat in one sitting (e.g., one muffin or 20 chips).
Some companies use a smaller serving size – like one-third of a muffin or seven chips – to make the nutrition facts look better than they are. But those quantities aren’t what most people consume.
If the serving size doesn’t seem realistic, it’s up to you to decide whether having less of the food works or whether you’d rather choose something else.
This formula isn’t foolproof. It’s just a few general rules for making your grocery run a little easier.
A healthy diet is all about balance and can include a variety of foods and dishes with a range of nutrients. These foods serve different purposes in our lives. People at different ages and life stages, including those with chronic conditions, also have different needs. Choose what works best for you and your family.
