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This article is part of\u00a0<\/i>Upstream,<\/i><\/a>\u00a0The Daily Wire\u2019s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories \u2014 from our featured writers to you.<\/i><\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n \u201cCan I read the ingredients list?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n That simple question is one I\u2019ve awkwardly asked almost since I knew how to read. As a child, I grew up with an unfortunate host of food sensitivities that meant understanding labels had to become second nature as I navigated elementary school snacks and sleepovers. This was long before the days of shelf-scanning apps, label-busting influencers, and the MAHA powerhouse. Instead, all I had was a food-savvy mom, a memorized list of no-go ingredients, and my reading skills.<\/span><\/p>\n If a seven-year-old can stare unflinchingly at the unpronounceable words on back-of-packaging labels, any adult can navigate the grocery store with confidence. A bit of knowledge and patience is all it takes to judge a label faster than any app or ChatGPT can ask. Here\u2019s how.<\/span><\/p>\n To start at the top of the label, it\u2019s always worth glancing at the serving size information to see how much (or little) is one \u201cserving.\u201d A pint of ice cream may be two (or one) servings to some, but the label may disagree and demand four tiny portions. For those of us counting calories or cutting down on sodium, these serving sizes matter, but for those of us just concerned about ingredients, it\u2019s just another handy data point.<\/span><\/p>\n Similarly, unless you\u2019re counting macros, it\u2019s safe to ignore the table of grams and daily percentages of protein and vitamins. The <\/span>requirements<\/span><\/a> around which vitamins need to be reported are convoluted, and the percentages are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Depending on your height, age, sex, and activity level, that may not be your <\/span>actual<\/span><\/i> caloric needs. Plus, many nutrient numbers are boosted by the addition of synthetic vitamins, particularly in boxed cereals or white bread.<\/span><\/p>\n Past the white box of numbers is where most of the key information hides. A quick skim of the \u201ccontains\u201d or \u201cmay contain\u201d list below the ingredients can reveal any major allergens, and most foods will proudly advertise if they are gluten- or dairy-free. However, the full ingredients list is where the dirty secrets of food manufacturing are buried.<\/span><\/p>\n Even seemingly simple products can have a surprisingly long list of preservatives, fillers, and mystery components. By now, most of us have heard that long ingredient lists are a red flag, and we know that if we can\u2019t pronounce an ingredient, it\u2019s probably worth avoiding. However, even the pronounceable ingredients can have some spooky secrets.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cArtificial flavors\u201d is a natural bogeyman, with a host of lab-made combinations encompassed under such a vague term. But \u201c<\/span>natural flavors<\/span><\/a>\u201d and variations like \u201cnatural vanilla flavor\u201d or \u201cnatural raspberry flavor\u201d can be just as opaque when it comes to information on the actual contents or origin of the flavoring agent. And as the University of Wisconsin <\/span>explains<\/span><\/a>, \u201cthe science of flavoring is so advanced that many artificial flavors actually have the exact same chemical structure as the naturally occurring ones.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Food dyes like Red 40 or Yellow 5 have gotten ample press for their <\/span>link to cancer<\/span><\/a>, and many of them are banned or require warning labels in <\/span>other countries<\/span><\/a>. Derived from petroleum (like gasoline), they have also been <\/span>linked<\/span><\/a> to hyperactivity in children. Yet, even some natural dyes can have disturbing origins. <\/span>Carmine<\/span><\/a> is all-natural and has been used for hundreds of years to produce beautiful shades of crimson and pink in everything from fabrics to cosmetics. Today, you can find it in red-colored foods like <\/span>strawberry yogurt<\/span><\/a>. Its source? The dried bodies of cochineal insects.<\/span><\/p>\n In short, skip the unidentifiable and unknown ingredients. We don\u2019t have to know the name of every strange component to know what doesn\u2019t sound edible.<\/span><\/p>\n Beyond the names of food (and food-like substances) on the nutrition panel, the qualifiers that come with some ingredients are worth a second glance. For example, flour is rarely listed as a single-word ingredient. Instead, it\u2019s typically paired with \u201cenriched wheat\u201d or \u201cwhole wheat.\u201d Words like \u201cwhole,\u201d \u201corganic,\u201d and \u201cbrown\u201d signal a less processed component, while \u201cwhite,\u201d \u201cenriched,\u201d and any unfamiliar terms usually equal a food that Mother Nature wouldn\u2019t recognize.<\/span><\/p>\n Certainly, it\u2019s an exercise in patience to pay attention to each word on the label, but food companies have ample incentive to keep their recipes a trade secret while conversely highlighting any high-quality inclusions. Each word can provide important information into what\u2019s hidden or where the brand is stepping up their MAHA game. Even the parentheticals that give sub-ingredients of chocolate chips, spices, or \u201ccontains 2% or less of\u201d can have a surprising number of strange substances.<\/span><\/p>\n