Reading Food Labels and Portion Sizes

Labels can be confusing for several reasons. The serving size on the pack may be smaller than what you really eat, so a "low-calorie" figure may apply to half a biscuit packet. Sugar appears under many names (glucose syrup, dextrose, fructose, maltose, date syrup, honey, concentrated fruit juice). Salt is often written as "sodium", and the amounts differ: salt is about 2.5 times the sodium figure. "Natural", "light", "diet", "no added sugar" and "high protein" are marketing claims that do not always mean the product is healthy. Lastly, "sugar-free" foods may still contain fat and calories.

Almost all the food we buy is packaged, and portion sizes have grown over the years. Research in many countries shows that people often underestimate what they eat, and that larger portions lead to eating more. Being able to read a label is a basic skill for people managing weight, diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver, reflux, coeliac disease, food allergy or kidney problems.

Portion size matters at family gatherings and with rice dishes: a flat cooked-rice portion about the size of your fist is a sensible starting point, with more space on the plate for salad and vegetables, and meat or chicken about the size of your palm. Two to three dates make a reasonable snack at iftar, but a whole tray quickly adds up. Many ready-made items, such as flavoured laban, instant noodles, canned foul, stock cubes, pickles and processed cheese, are high in salt, so check the sodium figure. Sweets such as kunafa, luqaimat and sweetened tea or coffee drinks carry much sugar; check the calories on café menus. Look for SFDA-compliant Arabic labels on imported products.

There is no test for label reading. A dietitian can look at your usual food and drink with you, check portions, and show you how to use labels for your own targets (for example sugar for diabetes, sodium for blood pressure or protein for liver or kidney disease). If you have symptoms after eating, your doctor may arrange tests for food allergy, coeliac disease or other conditions.

A simple routine at the shelf and at the table makes labels useful.

• Compare two similar products using the per 100 g column, not the per-serving column, because serving sizes differ.

• Check how many servings are in the pack and multiply if you plan to eat more than one.

• Serve food on a plate or bowl instead of eating from the packet, and use smaller plates.

• Check the production and expiry dates and the packaging; do not buy damaged or swollen cans.

• When eating out, look at the calorie information on the menu and share large dishes.

Use the label to steer towards foods that fit a balanced plate.

• Look first at sugar, salt (sodium) and saturated fat, and choose products in the lower range for them.

• Read the ingredient list: the first three ingredients make up most of the product. A short list with foods you recognise is usually better than a long one.

• Look for fibre in bread, cereal and snacks; choose products with more fibre and fewer added sugars.

• For people with allergy, coeliac disease or kidney disease, read the allergen statement and ingredient list every time, as recipes change.

• Remember that dates, date syrup, honey and fruit juice count as free sugars even though they are natural.

Supplements and "functional" products also carry labels, but they are not the same as foods or medicines.

• Check that supplements have an SFDA registration or notification and list every ingredient and its amount.

• Do not use products that promise quick weight loss or "miracle" gut effects; regulators have repeatedly found hidden drugs in such products.

• Tell your doctor or pharmacist which supplements you take, especially if you take regular medicines or have liver or kidney disease.

There are no procedures for label reading, but some assessments help.

• A dietitian assessment can set personal targets and teach label use.

• Allergy skin or blood tests, or coeliac blood tests, are done when a food reaction is suspected.

• Blood tests for sugar, cholesterol, liver enzymes and kidney function show whether your food choices are working.

The World Health Organization recommends keeping free sugars below 10% of daily energy intake (and below 5% for additional benefit), salt below 5 g a day (about one teaspoon), and saturated fat below 10% of energy (WHO guidelines on sugars 2015, sodium 2012 and the Healthy Diet fact sheet). Studies of front-of-pack labelling, such as traffic-light and Nutri-Score style systems, find that they help many shoppers choose healthier products, although effects on what people actually eat are modest. Research on menu calorie labels shows small reductions in calories ordered. The UK National Health Service guide defines a product as high in fat, saturated fat, sugar or salt at, per 100 g: more than 17.5 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 22.5 g sugar and 1.5 g salt; low is 3 g, 1.5 g, 5 g and 0.3 g or less. These are widely used reference values, and not Saudi legal limits.

Learning to read labels takes only a few shopping trips and becomes quick with practice. People who use labels tend to choose products lower in sugar, salt and saturated fat. Labels are a tool, not a rule: the healthiest foods, such as vegetables, fruit, fish and legumes, often have no label at all.

• What are my daily targets for sugar, salt and calories?

• Which ingredients must I avoid because of my condition or allergy?

• Are the supplements and "diet" products I use safe with my medicines?

• Can a dietitian go through my usual shopping list with me?

This guide comes from the Saudi Gastroenterology Association (SGA) patient library, prepared by the Approved for publication by SGA; individual clinician review is ongoing. Last reviewed: 2026-04-24. It is for education and does not replace your doctor's advice.