This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
“Can I read the ingredients list?”
That simple question is one I’ve awkwardly asked almost since I knew how to read. As a child, I grew up with an unfortunate host of food sensitivities that meant understanding labels had to become second nature as I navigated elementary school snacks and sleepovers. This was long before the days of shelf-scanning apps, label-busting influencers, and the MAHA powerhouse. Instead, all I had was a food-savvy mom, a memorized list of no-go ingredients, and my reading skills.
If a seven-year-old can stare unflinchingly at the unpronounceable words on back-of-packaging labels, any adult can navigate the grocery store with confidence. A bit of knowledge and patience is all it takes to judge a label faster than any app or ChatGPT can ask. Here’s how.
To start at the top of the label, it’s always worth glancing at the serving size information to see how much (or little) is one “serving.” A pint of ice cream may be two (or one) servings to some, but the label may disagree and demand four tiny portions. For those of us counting calories or cutting down on sodium, these serving sizes matter, but for those of us just concerned about ingredients, it’s just another handy data point.
Similarly, unless you’re counting macros, it’s safe to ignore the table of grams and daily percentages of protein and vitamins. The requirements around which vitamins need to be reported are convoluted, and the percentages are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Depending on your height, age, sex, and activity level, that may not be your actual caloric needs. Plus, many nutrient numbers are boosted by the addition of synthetic vitamins, particularly in boxed cereals or white bread.
Past the white box of numbers is where most of the key information hides. A quick skim of the “contains” or “may contain” list below the ingredients can reveal any major allergens, and most foods will proudly advertise if they are gluten- or dairy-free. However, the full ingredients list is where the dirty secrets of food manufacturing are buried.
Even seemingly simple products can have a surprisingly long list of preservatives, fillers, and mystery components. By now, most of us have heard that long ingredient lists are a red flag, and we know that if we can’t pronounce an ingredient, it’s probably worth avoiding. However, even the pronounceable ingredients can have some spooky secrets.
“Artificial flavors” is a natural bogeyman, with a host of lab-made combinations encompassed under such a vague term. But “natural flavors” and variations like “natural vanilla flavor” or “natural raspberry flavor” can be just as opaque when it comes to information on the actual contents or origin of the flavoring agent. And as the University of Wisconsin explains, “the science of flavoring is so advanced that many artificial flavors actually have the exact same chemical structure as the naturally occurring ones.”
Food dyes like Red 40 or Yellow 5 have gotten ample press for their link to cancer, and many of them are banned or require warning labels in other countries. Derived from petroleum (like gasoline), they have also been linked to hyperactivity in children. Yet, even some natural dyes can have disturbing origins. Carmine is all-natural and has been used for hundreds of years to produce beautiful shades of crimson and pink in everything from fabrics to cosmetics. Today, you can find it in red-colored foods like strawberry yogurt. Its source? The dried bodies of cochineal insects.
In short, skip the unidentifiable and unknown ingredients. We don’t have to know the name of every strange component to know what doesn’t sound edible.
Beyond the names of food (and food-like substances) on the nutrition panel, the qualifiers that come with some ingredients are worth a second glance. For example, flour is rarely listed as a single-word ingredient. Instead, it’s typically paired with “enriched wheat” or “whole wheat.” Words like “whole,” “organic,” and “brown” signal a less processed component, while “white,” “enriched,” and any unfamiliar terms usually equal a food that Mother Nature wouldn’t recognize.
Certainly, it’s an exercise in patience to pay attention to each word on the label, but food companies have ample incentive to keep their recipes a trade secret while conversely highlighting any high-quality inclusions. Each word can provide important information into what’s hidden or where the brand is stepping up their MAHA game. Even the parentheticals that give sub-ingredients of chocolate chips, spices, or “contains 2% or less of” can have a surprising number of strange substances.
Finally, at the very end of the ingredients, manufacturers are required to reveal if their product contains genetically modified organisms or bioengineered foods. Soy and seed oils are often the source of GMOs, and shopping certified non-GMO or organic will cut out the lab-made foods.
Once you’ve gone through the full list, take a closer look at the order of the ingredients. Each item is written in descending order of quantity, so if the first food is sugar, you’re in for a roller-coaster and crash after you indulge. As a bonus, this is also a handy way to know whether your purchase will be only a little spicy, very salty, or pack a punch of sour.
It’s a slog to get through the text wall of hyper-processed mystery ingredients at first. But soon, key terms will start jumping out, and a skim will reveal just how honest the front-of-box advertising is. And in the end, checking labels is not about making perfect choices. It’s about choosing to be a more informed consumer. For food manufacturers to offer healthier options, we need to demand better options. That starts by voting with our wallets — and giving each label a leery look.
***
Jordan Jantz is the assistant editor at IW Features as well as a freelance writer, editor, and website designer.
