You have read the rules and you’ve committed to doing the Whole30. Now it’s time to clean and organize your pantry and stock it full of whole30 compliant foods. Sounds super easy right? Then, you start reading the labels on the back of your canned and boxed goods and become immediately overwhelmed by all the tricky ingredient names and wonder if they are okay to eat.
Label reading can be one of the most frustrating things while on the Whole30. One main reason, it’s completely different than what you are used to. Your not counting calories and fats like your normally would do. Your only interest here is the ingredients. And I am sure you are quickly discovering that sugar and soy are in everything! To make label reading a little easier I’ve compiled a few tips to help you become a label reading whole30 master.
Tip #1– Review the rules again. I know you already have, but do it again ( yes, soy and peanuts are legumes). Get out your cheat-sheet of common food additives and sneaky sugars. I suggest putting a copy of each on your refrigerator for quick reference and definitely take a picture or download a copy on your phone. This will be super helpful for when you get stumped while at the grocery store.
Tip #2– Start with the nutritional facts and go straight to the grams of sugar. I like starting here because it tells me right away if I need to look for a sugar source in my ingredients list. Remember, fruits and vegetables have natural sugars. We are looking for added sugar!
Tip#3– Read the list of ingredients . Double check with your additives and sneaky sugar cheat sheets to make sure ingredients are oaky.
Tip #4– Check to see if there is a allergen warning label. Sometimes labels will list ingredients such as vegetable broth, but will not list what is in the vegetable broth, which commonly contains soy. The added soy however will be listed in the allergen warning. It is okay if the label lists that it was manufactured in a plant that also makes off plan ingredients such as peanuts, dairy and wheat. That is unless you do have a true allergy to those foods, then you should avoid consuming those products.
Tip#5– If you are unsure of a product and its ingredients, simply don’t buy it.
*Example 1 – This jar of marinara sauce has 6 grams of sugar per serving , but when I look down at the ingredient list, I see no added sugar, so the grams of sugar are natural sugars in the tomatoes.
* Example 2- Almond milk is by far one of the trickiest labels to read because there are some many questionable ingredients. Thanks to my additives cheat sheet, I know that these are all acceptable whole30 ingredients.
*Example 3- Always check the allergen warning label.
