Start with Serving Size, Not Calories
Before you even look at the calorie count, check the serving size. This is one of the most common traps for consumers. A packet of chips might seem low in calories, but the nutritional information often refers to a tiny serving that nobody actually eats.
A company can make a snack look healthier than a competitor’s simply by declaring a smaller serving size. To get a realistic picture, divide the total weight of the packet by the stated serving size to see how many servings you are actually holding. Then, multiply all the numbers on the nutrition panel—calories, sugar, sodium—by that number to understand what you might consume if you finish the pack.
Scan the Ingredients List First
The single most important part of the label is the ingredients list. According to regulations from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight. This means the first three ingredients make up the bulk of what you're eating. If you see sugar, refined flour (maida), or palm oil listed first, you know the product is primarily made of those things, not the healthy-sounding millets or whole wheat pictured on the front. A shorter list with recognisable, whole-food ingredients you could find in a kitchen is always a better sign than a long list of chemical names and codes.
Decode the Sugars: Total vs. Added
The nutrition panel lists both 'Total Sugar' and 'Added Sugar'. 'Total Sugar' includes sugars that are naturally present (like in fruit or milk) plus any that were added during processing. The 'Added Sugar' line is the one to watch closely. This tells you how much sugar was put in for sweetness, including things like high-fructose corn syrup, glucose, maltodextrin, and even honey or fruit juice concentrate. Brands sometimes use multiple types of sugar so that no single one appears high on the ingredients list. As a rough guide, anything over 22g of total sugar per 100g is considered high.
Understand Fats and Sodium
Not all fats are bad, but it's important to know what you're getting. The label will show Total Fat, Saturated Fat, and Trans Fat. Look for snacks with zero or close to zero trans fats. These are often listed in the ingredients as 'partially hydrogenated oils' or 'vanaspati' and are best avoided. A product can claim to be 'trans-fat free' if it contains less than 0.2g of trans fat per 100g of food, so small amounts can add up if you eat multiple servings. Also, keep an eye on sodium. Many packaged snacks are loaded with salt. For context, about 600mg of sodium per 100g is considered high.
Beware of Misleading Front-of-Pack Claims
The front of the package is advertising, designed to make you feel good about buying the product. Claims like 'all-natural,' 'made with real fruit,' 'multigrain,' or 'baked, not fried' can be misleading. A 'multigrain' biscuit might still be mostly refined flour, and a 'baked' snack can be high in fat and sodium. The FSSAI has recently flagged several companies for making such potentially misleading 'healthy' claims. Always turn the packet over and let the ingredients list and nutrition facts tell you the real story, not the marketing on the front.
