How to Read Nutrition Labels Without Getting Tricked.
Think you're eating healthy? San Pedro personal trainer Andrew Mejia breaks down how food companies trick you with nutrition labels and how to fight back. Stop being fooled.
Walk down any grocery aisle in San Pedro and you’re under attack.
Not from people. From marketing.
Every box, bag, and bottle is screaming at you. “Low Fat!” “Keto-Friendly!” “All-Natural!” They’re designed to make you feel good about buying junk. They’re counting on you to be in a hurry, to be confused, and to not look too closely.
Well, that ends today.
Consider this your crash course in cutting through the crap. Here’s how to read a nutrition label like a pro and stop getting tricked.
Step 1: Ignore the Front of the Package. Completely.
The Trick: Food companies pay marketing teams millions to put healthy-sounding words on the front to lure you in.
The Truth: The front of the package is an advertisement. It’s a lie designed to sell you. Turn the bag over. The only thing that matters is the Nutrition Facts panel and the Ingredients List on the back. That’s the truth. Everything else is noise.
Step 2: Servings Per Container is Where They Get You.
The Trick: This is the oldest trick in the book. The calories, sugar, and fat listed seem reasonable… until you realize the bag contains 3 “servings.”
The Truth: ALWAYS check the serving size first. Is it 15 chips? ½ a bottle? ⅛ of a cake? You’re probably eating double or triple that. Do the math. If a serving is 150 calories and you eat the whole bag with 3 servings, you just ate 450 calories. Don’t get played.Step 3: The Ingredient List is the Real Story.
The Nutrition Facts tell you the quantity, but the Ingredients List tells you the quality. This is the most important part.
The Rule: The first 3 ingredients are what you’re mostly eating. If the first three ingredients are sugar, enriched flour, and soybean oil, you’re holding a dessert, not health food.
My Golden Rules for Ingredients:
Shorter is better. Fewer ingredients usually means less processed.
If you can’t pronounce it, be skeptical. Is it a chemical preservative or a lab-made additive? Your body doesn’t know what to do with that stuff.
Watch for sugar’s aliases. Sugar hides under at least 60 different names. If you see any of these in the first few ingredients, put it back:
Cane Juice, Sucrose, Fructose, Dextrose, Maltose, Barley Malt, Syrup, Fruit Juice Concentrate, anything ending in “-ose”.
Step 4: Protein & Fiber are Your Friends. Sugar & Sodium are Your Enemies.
Now, look at the macros on the Nutrition Facts panel.
Protein: Helps build muscle and keeps you full. Aim higher here.
Fiber: Also keeps you full and aids digestion. Look for at least 3-5 grams per serving in things like bread or crackers.
Sugar: This is your target. For most packaged foods, if it has more than 8-10g of sugar per serving, it’s probably a treat, not a health food.
Sodium: Keeps your blood pressure high and makes you hold water. Try to keep it under 500mg per meal.
Step 5: Don't Be Fooled by "Health Halos"
The Trick: Labels like “Gluten-Free,” “Organic,” or “Natural” on a package of cookies make you think they’re a healthy choice.
The Truth: Organic sugar is still sugar. Gl-free junk food is still junk food. These labels say nothing about the nutritional value. A candy bar can be organic and still be a candy bar—full of sugar and empty calories. Always refer back to Step 3 and 4.The Bottom Line:
You have to be a detective. The grocery store is a battlefield of misinformation.
Stop trusting the marketing on the front. Start trusting the facts on the back. Check the serving size, scan the ingredients, and hunt down the sugar. It takes 10 extra seconds, but it saves you weeks of wasted effort in the gym.
Take back control. Don’t be a victim of clever packaging.
You’re smarter than that.
- Andrew Mejia
Tired of guessing and want a simple, no-BS nutrition plan that actually works? I’ll teach you how to eat for your goals without the confusion.
