Compare, Don't Just Judge

A label means little on its own. The fastest way to use it is to compare two products in the same category side by side, since their numbers are usually based on similar serving sizes.

Stand two cereals, two yogurts, or two pasta sauces next to each other and check the same line on each: added sugars, sodium, then fiber. The differences between similar products are often dramatic — one sauce can carry double the sugar of the brand beside it.

This turns label reading into a two-second decision: pick the better of the two in your hand, rather than trying to score every product against a perfect ideal.