Start with the ingredient list, not the front of the pack

The front of a packet is marketing. The back is information. If you only ever read one part of a label, make it the ingredients list — it is the most honest thing on the packaging. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so whatever appears first is what you are mostly buying. If sugar, glucose-fructose syrup or palm oil sits in the top three, that tells you more than any "source of fibre" claim ever will.

You do not need to memorise hundreds of additives. A simpler rule works well: if the list reads like a recipe you could make at home, that is a good sign. If it contains fifteen ingredients you would never keep in your cupboard, it is probably best treated as an occasional food rather than a daily staple. That is not about fear — it is about proportion.

Decode the names sugar hides behind

Sugar is rarely labelled just "sugar". Food manufacturers use dozens of variations, and splitting them across several ingredients lets a product avoid listing sugar first. Watch for barley malt, cane juice, corn syrup, dextrose, fruit juice concentrate, honey, invert sugar, maltodextrin, molasses, rice syrup and anything ending in -ose.

This matters for everyday wellbeing because a product can claim "no added sugar" while still containing plenty of natural or processed sweetness. A quick trick: count how many sweetening ingredients appear in the list. Three or four small amounts often add up to one large one. If you are comparing two cereals, breakfast bars or yoghurts, this single check will usually separate the genuinely balanced option from the cleverly packaged one.

Read the nutrition panel per 100g, not per portion

Serving sizes are chosen by the manufacturer, and they are often smaller than what you would actually eat. A 30g portion of cereal looks modest on paper but rarely matches a real bowl. The per 100g column, on the other hand, is standard across every product, which makes it the fairest way to compare like with like.

Use these rough guides for the per 100g figures:

• High in fat: more than 17.5g per 100g
• High in saturated fat: more than 5g per 100g
• High in sugar: more than 22.5g per 100g
• High in salt: more than 1.5g per 100g (or 0.3g per 100g for the "high" threshold in some categories)
• High in fibre: more than 6g per 100g is a genuinely good source

Once you have those numbers in your head, comparing two pasta sauces or two loaves of bread takes seconds. A product does not have to be perfect — you are looking for the better choice within the range you are actually standing in front of.

Look at fibre and protein to judge how filling a food will be

For gut health and steady energy, the combination of fibre and protein matters more than most front-of-pack claims. Fibre feeds the beneficial bacteria in your digestive system and slows the release of sugars into the bloodstream. Protein keeps you satisfied for longer. Together, they usually mean fewer mid-afternoon cravings.

A practical benchmark for everyday foods such as bread, crackers, cereals and pasta: aim for at least 3g of fibre per 100g, and ideally 6g or more. For protein, 5g or more per 100g is a useful minimum for a staple food, while anything above 10g is doing real work. Check the ingredient list too — "wholegrain" should appear first, not fifth, for the fibre claim to mean much.

Allergens, "may contain" and the 14 regulated ingredients

In the UK, fourteen allergens must be emphasised in the ingredients list, usually in bold: celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide and tree nuts. If you are managing a sensitivity, this is where you look first, every time, even for a product you have bought before — recipes change without warning.

"May contain" statements are different. They flag a risk of cross-contamination during manufacturing, not an ingredient. They are voluntary and worded inconsistently, so they can be frustrating. If your sensitivity is mild, you may be comfortable with them; if it is strict, contact the manufacturer directly. For genuine food allergies, always follow the advice of your GP or a registered dietitian rather than relying on label wording alone.

Cut your label reading down to three questions

You do not need to audit every item in your trolley. Most of the time, three quick questions will do:

• What is the first ingredient? Is it the food itself, or a refined starch or sugar?
• How much fibre and protein per 100g? This tells you how filling and gut-friendly it is likely to be.
• How many sweeteners are listed? One is fine; four suggests the total sugar is higher than it looks.

Ingredients lists and nutrition panels are tools, not verdicts. Food is more than numbers — enjoyment, culture, convenience and budget all count. But knowing how to read a label gives you back a bit of control in a supermarket aisle full of competing claims. Start with one habit: turn the packet over before it goes in the basket. With a few weeks of practice, it becomes almost automatic, and you will find your usual shop quietly improves without any dramatic overhaul.