The Fluent Guide to Food Ingredients

How to shop

1. 1The best food has no ingredient label. Eggs, fish, and mangoes don't need one.
2. 2Five ingredients or fewer is a good sign. Whole foods have one.
3. 3Check the first three. Ingredients are listed by weight.
4. 4Shop the store perimeter. Real food is on the edges: produce, meat, eggs.
5. 5Does it look like real food? Would your great-grandmother recognize it?

Tips

• Water is your default drink. Juice and soft drinks count as food.
• Zero sugar ≠ zero risk. The WHO advises against sweeteners, stevia included.
• Choose grilled over fried to avoid refined and reheated oils.
• Cook with coconut oil, butter, or tallow. They handle heat. Olive oil is best raw.
• Highly fortified = highly processed. Real food doesn't need vitamins added back.