Become a Label Ninja

You are standing in the supermarket aisle. A packet catches your eye.

High protein. Low fat. No added sugar. Natural ingredients. Wholesome goodness. It looks like exactly what you were after. So in the trolley it goes.

But here is the question I want you to start asking: is what is actually in that packet going to energise and nourish your body? Or does it just look like it will?

Because the front of a food packet is marketing. It is designed by a team of people whose job is to make you feel confident about buying it. The words are chosen carefully. The colours are chosen carefully. Even the font is chosen carefully.

The back of the packet? That is the truth.

Do you need a science degree

Absolutely not. Turn the packet over and look at four things. That is it.

1. The ingredients list

Ingredients are listed in order of weight. If sugar, glucose syrup, honey or any sweetener appears in the first three - that product is primarily a sugar delivery in a healthy-looking wrapper. Also check the length. A short, recognisable list means a more whole food. Fifteen ingredients you cannot picture or pronounce? That is a signal.

2. Of which sugars

Find the carbohydrate row on the nutrition panel and look at ‘of which sugars’ underneath. Under 5g per 100g is low. Over 22g is high. A granola bar, a flavoured yoghurt, a smoothie pouch — these regularly sit in the high category, however wholesome they look on the front.

3. Protein

A ‘high protein’ claim on the front needs at least 20g per 100g in the UK to be legal — but many products use the language loosely. A bar with 6g of protein and 22g of sugar is not the energy ally it is presenting itself as. For a snack that actually sustains you, look for at least 10–15g of protein per serving.

4. Fibre

This is the number most people scroll straight past — and one of the most important. Fibre slows digestion, feeds your gut, blunts blood sugar spikes and keeps you fuller for longer. Aim for 3g or more per serving. High carb, low fibre is the combination most likely to leave you reaching for something else an hour later.

The claims worth being sceptical of

• ‘Natural’ — no regulated nutritional meaning. Honey and agave are natural. They still spike blood sugar.

• ‘Low fat’ — when fat is removed, sugar usually replaces it. Always check the sugar row.

• ‘No added sugar’ — can still be high in natural sugars from dates, fruit concentrate or dried fruit.

• ‘High protein’ — check the actual grams per serving, not just the badge on the front.

• ‘Wholesome’, ‘Nourishing’, ‘Goodness’ — unregulated marketing words. Turn the packet around.

  
  

A brilliant tool to start building awareness quickly is the Yuka app. Scan any product for an instant colour-coded breakdown. A lot of my clients find it genuinely eye-opening — especially for products they have been buying for years. The goal is not to scan forever, but to scan enough that your own instincts sharpen and you start to just know.

The rule that ties it all together

Once you start reading labels, the pattern becomes obvious fast.

The products that look healthy but work against your energy are almost always high in carbohydrates and low in protein, fat and fibre. In other words — full of naked carbs.

No naked carbs is the rule. Never send a carbohydrate out alone. Always dress it with protein, fat or fibre. This applies to every meal and every product you buy.

A cereal bar with 22g of sugar and 3g of protein is a naked carb in a wrapper. Oatcakes with nut butter are dressed. Greek yoghurt with berries and seeds is dressed. An apple with almond butter is dressed.

The label tells you which is which. The front of the packet will not.

Your 1% this week

Pick one product you buy regularly, turn it around. Check the sugar, the protein, the fibre.

If it does not pass, find one swap. One product with more protein and fibre alongside the carbohydrate. That is it. Do that once and the habit starts to build itself. Become a label Ninja!

This blog is part of the May 1% Gains newsletter — No Naked Carbs. Not yet subscribed? Sign up at kateslatter.com.

Want personalised support?

If you want to understand how food is affecting your energy, cravings and mood — a free 30-minute Health & Energy Review is a great place to start.

Book here