Guides
The FoodFact guide library: in-depth, source-based explanations of nutrition facts labels, Daily Values, ingredients and food additives — so you can make informed choices at the grocery store.
Nutrition Guides
Nutrition Guide
Gluten in Yeasts, Grains and Grits: Torula Yeast, Corn Grits, Oats
Is torula yeast gluten-free? What about yeast extract, corn grits, and oat flakes? FDA gluten-free rules, cross-contact, and label tips.
Nutrition Guide
MSG and Its Label Names: Yeast Extract, Glutamate and "No Added MSG"
What monosodium glutamate is, how it is made, FDA "No MSG" labeling rules, yeast extract and other glutamate sources, and disodium inosinate.
Nutrition Guide
Palm Oil and Its Label Names: Palm Kernel, Fractionated, Modified
Palm oil vs palm kernel oil, what fractionated, modified, hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated palm oil mean, and what EFSA found about refining.
Nutrition Guide
Hydrogenated, Fully Hydrogenated, Interesterified and Non-Hydrogenated Oils
What partially hydrogenated, fully hydrogenated, interesterified and non-hydrogenated oils mean on a US ingredients list, and what the FDA rules say.
Nutrition Guide
"Natural Flavors": What the Term Legally Means
The FDA legal definition of "natural flavor," how it differs from artificial flavor, what may be inside, and what the label does not tell you.
Nutrition Guide
The 9 Major Allergens and the FASTER Act
The nine major food allergens under US law, how FALCPA and the FASTER Act require them to be labeled, and why "may contain" is not regulated.
Nutrition Guide
Gluten-Free Labeling: the FDA 20 ppm Rule
What "gluten-free" legally means in the US: the FDA 20 ppm limit, which foods qualify, the 2020 rule for fermented foods, and label pitfalls.
Nutrition Guide
"High Protein" and Other Protein Claims Decoded
What "high protein," "good source of protein," and "excellent source" legally mean under FDA rules, and how protein quality affects the %DV.
Nutrition Guide
Dietary Fiber: Reaching 28 g a Day
Most Americans fall short on fiber. What the 28 g Daily Value means, which fibers the FDA counts on the label, and easy ways to eat more.
Nutrition Guide
Trans Fat and Partially Hydrogenated Oils
Why the FDA removed partially hydrogenated oils from US foods, what "0 g trans fat" really means, and where trans fat can still turn up.
Nutrition Guide
Sugar Alcohols and Non-Nutritive Sweeteners
Erythritol, sucralose, aspartame, stevia: how sugar substitutes are regulated, how they appear on the label, and what the evidence says.
Nutrition Guide
High-Fructose Corn Syrup vs Sugar
How high-fructose corn syrup compares with table sugar in composition, calories, and health research, and why the total amount matters most.
Nutrition Guide
Ultra-Processed Foods and the NOVA Scale
What makes a food ultra-processed, how the NOVA scale sorts foods into four groups, what research links UPFs to, and the limits of that evidence.
Nutrition Guide
Seed Oils: Separating Evidence from Hype
Are canola, soybean, and other seed oils harmful? What controlled studies and major health agencies say about omega-6 fats, processing, and frying.
Nutrition Guide
Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6: What the Evidence Says
What synthetic food dyes are, how FDA regulates them, what studies show about children and behavior, and how to find them on labels.
Nutrition Guide
Sodium: the 2,300 mg Limit and Where It Hides
Most sodium comes from packaged and restaurant food, not the salt shaker. Learn the 2,300 mg limit, the label claims, and where sodium hides.
Nutrition Guide
Added Sugars vs Total Sugars
Why the Nutrition Facts label lists both total and added sugars, what counts as added sugar, and how to stay under the 50 g Daily Value.
Nutrition Guide
%DV Explained: 5% Low, 20% High
What % Daily Value means on the Nutrition Facts label, how FDA sets Daily Values, and how to use the 5/20 rule to compare foods fast.
Nutrition Guide
How to Read the Nutrition Facts Label (2020 format)
A line-by-line guide to the updated FDA Nutrition Facts label: serving size, calories, %DV, added sugars, and the nutrients that matter most.
Product Rankings
Greek yogurt
10 Greek Yogurts with the Most Protein
Protein bar
10 Protein Bars with the Most Protein
Breakfast cereal
10 Breakfast Cereals with the Least Sugar
Breakfast cereal
10 High-Fiber Breakfast Cereals
Kids' snack
10 Kids' Snacks with the Least Sugar
Potato chips
10 Potato Chips with the Least Sodium
Protein powder
10 Protein Powders with the Most Protein
Ice cream
10 Ice Creams with the Fewest Calories
Whole-grain crackers
10 Whole-Grain Crackers with the Most Fiber
Granola
10 Granolas with the Least Sugar
High-protein cereal
10 High-Protein Breakfast Cereals
Soup
10 Soups with the Least Sodium
High-protein pasta
10 High-Protein Pastas with the Most Protein
Low-calorie snack
10 Packaged Snacks with the Fewest Calories
Peanut butter
10 Peanut Butters with the Least Sugar
Frozen pizza
10 Frozen Pizzas with the Fewest Calories
Kefir or yogurt drink
10 Kefir and Yogurt Drinks with the Least Sugar
Bread
10 Breads with the Most Fiber
Canned beans
10 Canned Beans with the Least Sodium
Instant oatmeal
10 Instant Oatmeals with the Least Sugar
Energy drink
10 Energy Drinks with the Least Sugar
Protein chips
10 Protein Chips with the Most Protein
Sports drink
10 Sports Drinks with the Least Sugar
Jerky
10 Jerky Snacks with the Least Sodium
Popcorn
10 Popcorns with the Fewest Calories
Salad dressing
10 Salad Dressings with the Least Sugar
Frozen meal
10 Frozen Meals with the Fewest Calories
BBQ sauce
10 BBQ Sauces with the Least Sugar
Protein oatmeal
10 Protein Oatmeals with the Most Protein
Buying guides
Kitchen scales
Buying guide
How to Choose a Kitchen Scale for Tracking Food
What to check before buying a kitchen scale in the US: capacity, 1 g or 0.1 g steps, grams and ounces, tare, what NIST covers and who should ask a doctor.
Buying guide
Weighing Food for Calorie and Macro Tracking
How to weigh food for tracking: the tare method, per-100 g sums, label rounding and tolerance, raw against cooked weights with USDA data, and cautions.
Buying guide
Kitchen Scale Accuracy, Resolution and Calibration
1 g or 0.1 g? What the spec words mean, what NIST covers, a home accuracy check with US coins, and weighing supplement scoops safely.
Buying guide
Kitchen Scale or Measuring Cups and Spoons?
Cups and spoons against grams: what a label cup means, why a cup of the same food can weigh very different amounts, and when measuring cups are enough.
Smart scales
Buying guide
How to Choose a Smart Scale
What to check before buying a body-composition scale in the US: capacity, step size, how it estimates body fat, who should skip it, and your data.
Buying guide
What Bioimpedance Scales Can and Cannot Measure
How smart scales estimate body fat, what changes the reading, and how they compare with DEXA scans in the studies we read.
Buying guide
How to Weigh Yourself for Useful Trends
Set-up, timing, frequency and reading the pattern on a home scale, with what the research says about weekly weight rhythms.
Buying guide
BMI, Waist and Body-Fat Numbers Explained
What the CDC and NHLBI say about BMI and waist circumference, how to measure them, and why body-fat percentages are harder to interpret.
Meal prep
Buying guide
How to Choose Meal-Prep Containers and Portion Tools
What to check before buying meal-prep containers and portion tools in the US: microwave labels, size, freezer use, lids and who needs extra care.
Buying guide
Batch Cooking and Food Safety: Cool, Store, Reheat
How to cool, store, freeze, thaw and reheat batch-cooked food in the US, from USDA and CDC guidance: the 2-hour rule, 3 to 4 days, 165°F.
Buying guide
Portion Control Without Counting: Plates, Hands and Containers
Judge portions without counting calories: serving vs portion, federal serving-size examples, hand estimates, smaller dishes and divided containers.
Buying guide
Packing a Lunch That Keeps: Insulated Bags and Ice Packs
How to pack a lunch that stays cold and safe: insulated bags, ice packs, USDA time and temperature limits, hot lunches and reheating at work.
Protein powder
Buying guide
How to Choose a Protein Powder
What to check before buying protein powder in the US: source, protein per serving, sweeteners, allergens, lead results, testing marks and cautions.
Buying guide
Whey vs Casein vs Plant Protein Powders
How whey, casein and plant protein powders differ: digestion, leucine, lactose, allergens, what a 2021 review found for muscle, and lead results.
Buying guide
How Much Protein Do You Need? RDA, Guidelines and Athletes
Daily protein in grams: the 0.8 g/kg RDA, the 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg Dietary Guidelines goal and the ISSN range for exercisers, with examples and cautions.
Buying guide
How to Read a Protein Powder Label
Serving size, protein per serving versus per 100 g, nitrogen-based protein figures, sweeteners and testing marks: how to read a US protein powder label.
Creatine
Buying guide
How to Choose a Creatine Supplement
What to check before buying creatine in the US: the form, creatine per serving, batch testing, label claims and who should ask a doctor first.
Buying guide
What Creatine Does: The Evidence and What Labels May Say
What creatine is, what research reviews conclude, and what US law lets a supplement label claim: structure/function rules, FDA and FTC limits.
Buying guide
How to Take Creatine: Dose, Loading and Timing
How much creatine to take: the label first, the 3 to 5 g a day in research, what loading is, timing, mixing, and who should ask a doctor.
Buying guide
Creatine Monohydrate vs Other Forms
Monohydrate, HCl, buffered, ethyl ester, gummies: what position statements and a review of US Amazon products say, and how to read the label.
Vitamin D
Buying guide
How to Choose a Vitamin D Supplement
What to check before buying vitamin D in the US: the form, mcg vs IU, amount per serving, outside verification, label claims and who should ask first.
Buying guide
Who Needs a Vitamin D Supplement? Food, Sunlight and Latitude
Food sources, sunlight and latitude, the groups MedlinePlus says may need extra vitamin D, and what the USPSTF says about blood tests.
Buying guide
Vitamin D Dose and Upper Limits: RDA, UL, mcg and IU
Vitamin D recommended amounts and upper limits by age in mcg and IU, how the Daily Value on labels works, and how to add up all your sources.
Buying guide
Vitamin D3 vs D2, Drops vs Tablets, and Vegan Options
What reviews say about D3 versus D2, how drops, softgels, tablets and gummies differ on the label, and what to look for in a vegan vitamin D.
Omega-3
Buying guide
How to Choose an Omega-3 Supplement
What to check before buying omega-3 in the US: EPA and DHA per serving, the source, freshness, outside testing, prescription fish oil and who asks first.
Buying guide
What EPA and DHA Do: The Evidence and What Labels May Say
What EPA and DHA are, what research reviews found and the exact wording FDA tolerates in qualified health claims, with the 0.8 g per serving condition.
Buying guide
Fish Oil vs Algae Oil: Sources, Forms and Who Might Choose Which
Fish oil, krill oil, cod liver oil and algal oil compared on what public sources say: EPA and DHA, vegan options, allergy and vitamin A cautions.
Buying guide
Omega-3 Oxidation, Mercury and Reading the Label
How omega-3 oils go rancid, what FDA and EPA say about mercury in fish, what studies found in fish oil supplements and how to read the label.