I’ve long said you don’t need a specific “list” of ingredients to avoid when shopping for packaged food – instead just avoid the ones you wouldn’t normally cook with at home. BUT I also realize how tricky food packaging is, especially with how they might say one thing, but really mean another. For example, you’ll almost never see “white flour” spelled out on an ingredient label, and how many people really know that “partially hydrogenated oil” equals trans fat? They like to keep us on our toes!
So, since label reading (unfortunately) isn’t always as straight forward as it should be, today I’m sharing a little cheat sheet that tells you what some of the more commonly found ingredients really are. Please know this is not a complete list of the thousands of additives out there – otherwise we’d be here all day long. :)
Common Grains
| Ingredient Name | What It Really Means |
|---|---|
| Unbleached Enriched Flour | (Refined) White Flour |
| Enriched Flour | (Refined) White Flour |
| Wheat Flour (without the word whole) | (Refined) White Flour |
| Semolina / Semolina Wheat | (Refined) White Flour |
| Wheat Shell Pasta | (Refined) White Flour Pasta |
| Enriched Macaroni Product | (Refined) White Flour Pasta |
| Whole Wheat / Whole Wheat Flour | Whole Grain Flour (made from wheat) |
| Whole Grain Wheat /Whole Grain Wheat Flour | Whole Grain Flour (made from wheat) |
| Whole Durum Wheat / Whole Durum Wheat Flour | Whole Grain Flour (made from wheat) |
| Whole Wheat Shell Pasta | Whole Grain Pasta (made from wheat) |
| Whole Grain Soft White Wheat | Whole Grain Flour (made from wheat) |
| Rice | Refined White Rice |
| Brown Rice | Whole Grain Rice |
| Oats | Whole Grain Oats (whether rolled, steel-cut, quick cooking, etc.) |
| Oat Bran | Not the whole grain – just the bran |
| Whole Grain Corn | Whole Grain Corn |
| Whole Grain Cornmeal / Whole Grain Corn Flour | Whole Grain Corn Meal/Flour |
| Popcorn | Whole Grain Corn |
| Cornmeal / Enriched Cornmeal | Refined Corn |
| Corn Flour | Refined Corn |
| Degerminated Corn | Refined Corn |
| Corn Starch | Refined Corn |
| Quinoa | Whole Grain (usually only sold whole) |
Common Sugars*
Be on the lookout for just about any term with the word “syrup” or “cane” or ending in the letters “-ose” – those are all pretty much refined (white) sugars that are best consumed only in great moderation (i.e. not every meal or even every day)!
| Ingredient Name | What It Really Means |
|---|---|
| Brown Rice Syrup | Refined sugar |
| Cane Juice / Evaporated Cane Juice | Refined sugar |
| Raw Sugar | Refined sugar |
| Corn Syrup / Corn Syrup Solids | Refined sugar |
| High Fructose Corn Syrup | Refined sugar |
| Cane Sugar | Refined sugar |
| Invert Sugar | Refined sugar |
| Rice Bran Syrup | Refined sugar |
| Tapioca Syrup | Refined sugar |
| Dried Cane Syrup | Refined sugar |
| Dextrose / Fructose / Sucrose | Refined sugar |
| Agave Nectar | Refined sugar (in most cases) |
| Stevia | It depends, the leaf itself is obviously natural, but the refined powdery stuff – not so much |
| Grape Juice Concentrate / Pear Juice Concentrate | Depends on how refined it is – this one is a gray area, but no matter what it’s still a “sugar” |
| Honey | This is still “sugar” albeit a less refined version with trace nutrients |
| Pure Maple Syrup | This is still “sugar” albeit a less refined version with trace nutrients |
*The important thing here is that MANY products will use 2 or 3 or even 4 different types of sugar so just because you see “cane juice” listed as the 4th item used on the ingredient list – don’t stop there. Keep reading because chances are the product also contains brown rice syrup, honey and possibly some others. If you added all the sweeteners together it could end up as one of the top 3 ingredients (what the product contains the most of). Breaking up the sweeteners like that is no accident.
Artificial Ingredients
| Ingredient Name | What It Really Means |
|---|---|
| Aspartame | Artificial Sweetener |
| Sucralose | Artificial Sweetener |
| Saccharin | Artificial Sweetener |
| Acesulfame K / Acesulfame Potassium | Artificial Sweetener |
| Neotame | Artificial Sweetener |
| Blue 1 | Artificial Color |
| Blue 2 | Artificial Color |
| Green 3 | Artificial Color |
| Red 3 | Artificial Color |
| Red 40 | Artificial Color |
| Yellow 5 | Artificial Color |
| Yellow 6 | Artificial Color |
| FD&C Lakes | Artificial Color |
| Citrus Red 2 | Artificial Color |
| Artificial Color | Artificial Color |
| Artificial Flavor | Who knows what this really is – just avoid it! |
Others Worth Mentioning
| Ingredient Name | What It Really Means |
|---|---|
| Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil | Trans fat (that’s likely GMO) |
| Partially Hydrogenated [Insert Type] Oil | Trans fat |
You can download the entire Ingredient Label Cheat Sheet from the Free Membership Area by clicking the button below:
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Are there any other confusing additives you’d like to add to this list? Please share below!
My Go-To Whole Foods Shopping List (Part 2)
I have been giving paleo a go due to health reasons and decided it’s not for me. Now I am moving towards the whole foods ideal. I now have a cupboard full of expensive alternatives. What about coconut flour, and coconut sugar? And tapioca flour? Thanks
Hi there. Those are not ingredients that Lisa has used in her recipes but I’m a big fan of both coconut flour and coconut sugar but use the sugar, in general, sparingly.
I have a question about flour. We have a gluten allergy and a tree nut allergy in our home. So I was looking for suggestions for the best kind of flour that meets criteria and can be used in most recipes that is both gluten free and tree nut free ( so almond flour is out). Thanks for any advice.
Hi there. With gluten free flours, you might have to stretch the rules a bit. I use Bob’s Red Mill whole grain gluten free blend. It works well in most recipes.
Could you add/comment on “natural flavours “?
“Natural flavors” are flavors that occur in nature but that doesn’t mean they came from nature. If a chemical is synthesized in a lab that identically matches the chemical as it occurs anywhere in nature it’s a “natural flavor” For example: it’s cheaper to manufacture the oil that gives lemons (and other citrus fruits) it’s flavor than it is to extract it from lemons so most likely the “natural flavors” in Sprite are manufactured in a lab.
Companies don’t have to specify to protect brand proprietary information.
How do I know? –a pharmaceutical chemist with an MS in chemistry and a passion for honest food labeling
Aspartame is also being rebranded as “amino sweet” and should be added to the list for conscious consumers.
awesome list, you guys
Scott, is Christ your last name? It’s mine as well, pronounced “krist”
I am very eager to read the list, but there is an ad on top of the sugar section that I cannot make go away (mobile version) . I (begrudgingly) clicked on it in hopes it would then disappear but no luck. Any way to place ads such that they don’t block content? Thanks!
Thanks so much for sharing! Exactly what I needed! :)
What about Soy? Should soy on an ingredient list be avoided, or just avoided in general?
Thanks,
Barbara
Hi Barbara. Organic whole soy is okay but soy as an ingredient in processed food is one we try to avoid.
I am wondering if you would be willing to put this list in a PDF form? I teach 8th grade nutrition and would love to put this in my class workbook for the next school year. Your site is amazing I use it all the time in my classroom. Thanks for all you and your team do.
Hi there. I will certainly forward on your request. :)
What about expeller-pressed sunflower oil? I’ve searched the site and can’t find a clear answer.
Hi Brooke. Sunflower oil is not an oil Lisa typically chooses. It is also one that I avoid because its fatty acid profile is out of balance (Omega 6s vs. Omega 3’s).
And citric acid?
It is really difficult to pick apart every single additive which is why we just choose to avoid most of them. :) That said, there is a big difference between naturally occurring citric acid and the citric acid that is used as an additive in most processed foods. That citric acid is processed from a corn mold. It’s a hard additive to avoid. Here is one perspective on citric acid: http://www.nutritionalanarchy.com/2014/04/14/citric-acid-comes/.
Hi Lisa, I love this list. What would be even more helpful to me especially with the “Common Grains” list would be for you to highlight the ones you feel are OK to buy. I have watched your video on reading labels and thought it was helpful too.
That way I can take that list to the store with me.
Meri-Beth
Thanks for this list and all you do to promote healthy food choices! It’s such a complex and confusing topic, I appreciate the fact that you are addressing the topic.
what about the commonly found “natural flavours” label on packaged foods. What exactly is so natural about something they won’t specifically reveal to us?
This was just the first link that popped up but it fits with what I’ve learned about that term.
http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/ask-diet-doctor-what-are-natural-flavors
Basically, natural flavors is a heading that food companies can use at will without having to test the ingredient or even divulge what it is. The daughter of a friend of mine reacts to food dyes and flavorings and they can’t give her anything with this as an ingredient.
I’ve heard natural flavors can include msg
This is what I was wondering about too. “Natural flavors”
Wow! That is awesome how you broke them into lists! :)
I do find this list helpful, however there are some glaring errors in your sugar list. I accept that your Real Food diet is focussed on using honey/maple syrup as sugar substitutes, but there are others available that are just as acceptable (if not better) in a whole food diet.
Cane Juice/Evaporated Cane Juice (also sold as Panela, Sucanet or Rapadura) is not a refined sugar. It is just the pressed juice from sugar cane that has had the water evaporated off at low heat. It still retains vitamins, minerals & nutrients from the sugar cane, and also has a significantly lower level of sucrose than refined white sugar.
Rice Bran Syrup/ Brown Rice syrup is also not refined. It is formed by the enzymatic breakdown of whole grain brown rice and, aside from evaporating water, no further refining occurs. The sugar in this sweetener is maltose, not glucose (and therefore it contains no sucrose/fructose) and is one of the more body compatible sugar substitutes available.
Yes…I agree. “Brown rice syrup/barley malt is 50% maltose….least concentrated, least sweet, and most nearly whole-food sweetener.” -Paul Pitchford (Healing with Whole Foods)
Of course, everything in moderation. :)
What about Trader Joe’s whole wheat couscous which lists : whole durum wheat semolina as the only ingredient?
Hi Bethe. This is a good guide: http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/identifying-whole-grain-products.
Yeah I feel like this is all too basic. There are a lot more trickier ingredients that I’d rather know about. Such as Mindy asked about guar gum and xantham gum. I’d also be interested to know what you think about glucomonnan and other products made of konjac root. And what about xylitol or erythritol? Obviously these are processed in some way, and I’m ok with a certain amount of processing, but I’d like to know more about the real food view on these things, especially since a lot of healthier packaged foods contain these.
What about thickeners, such as guar gum, xanthan gum, pectin, arrowroot powder, etc?
Good question, Mindy. I’d like to know this too!
Regarding Annie’s organic Mac and cheese, they were bought out by General Mills and is on the traitor list for organic food because General Mills spent money to to stop the right to know if GMO’s are in your food.
I know you don’t shop for Brands based on their ethics or parent company choices, but I’m wondering if you’ve noticed Annie’s has changed the ingredients on their organic whole wheat version of mac & cheese? Is it still 100 days of real food approved?