Food Labels a basic guide to reading labels

Read Food Labels

Reading food labels is essential for making informed, healthy choices. Many processed foods contain hidden additives, inflammatory oils, and misleading ingredient names. By understanding labels, you can avoid harmful ingredients like gluten, dairy, and seed oils while choosing nutrient-dense foods that support overall well-being.

Action Steps:

✅ Check the ingredient list first – Look for whole, recognizable foods and avoid artificial additives, preservatives, and processed sugars.

✅ Watch for hidden gluten, dairy, and seed oils – Gluten can be listed as "modified food starch," dairy as "whey or casein," and seed oils as "canola, soybean, or sunflower oil."

✅ Read the nutrition facts – Focus on protein and healthy fats while minimizing added sugars and inflammatory oils.

✅ Beware of marketing claims – Terms like "natural" and "low-fat" can be misleading; always check the ingredients instead.

Hidden Names for Gluten, Dairy, and Seed Oils

🚫 Hidden Sources of Gluten:

• Modified Food Starch
• Malt (Malt Extract, Malt Syrup)
• Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
• Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
• Brewer’s Yeast
• Artificial Flavorings (can contain gluten-based additives)
• Soy Sauce (unless labeled gluten-free)

🚫 Hidden Sources of Dairy:

• Casein (or Caseinate)
• Whey (Whey Protein, Whey Concentrate)
• Lactose
• Butterfat, Butter Solids
• Ghee (some traces may remain)
• Milk Powder
• Curds
• Recaldent (found in some chewing gums)

🚫 Hidden Sources of Seed Oils:

• Canola Oil
• Soybean Oil
• Sunflower Oil
• Safflower Oil
• Corn Oil
• Cottonseed Oil
• Rapeseed Oil
• Vegetable Oil (a blend that usually contains seed oils)

💡 Tip: Always check the ingredient list—even on products labeled "healthy" or "natural"—as hidden additives can sneak in!

How to Shop Smart

Shopping for healthy food starts with knowing what to look for and what to avoid. Stick to the perimeter of the store, where fresh produce, meats, and whole foods are found, and limit purchases from the processed food aisles. Always read ingredient labels carefully, choosing products with minimal, recognizable ingredients. Opt for organic, non-GMO, and locally sourced items when possible. Avoid foods containing gluten, dairy, and seed oils, which can contribute to inflammation and digestive issues. Planning ahead with a shopping list ensures you stay focused and avoid impulse purchases.

🛒 Smart Shopping Action Steps:

✅ Stick to Whole Foods – Prioritize fresh produce, high-quality meats, and healthy fats (like avocado and coconut oil). Choose foods in season when possible.

✅ Check Labels Thoroughly – Look for hidden gluten, dairy, and seed oils in packaged foods.

✅ Choose Organic & Grass-Fed – Opt for organic fruits and vegetables and grass-fed, pasture-raised meats.

✅ Avoid Ultra-Processed Foods – Skip artificial additives, preservatives, and refined sugars.

✅ Plan Before You Shop – Make a list based on planned meals to stay on track and avoid unhealthy choices.

✅ Shop the Perimeter – The healthiest foods are usually found along the store’s outer aisles.

How to Clean Your Pantry

A healthy lifestyle starts with a clean pantry. Removing unhealthy items makes it easier to make nutritious choices. Processed foods, artificial ingredients, and inflammatory oils often lurk in packaged goods, even those marketed as "healthy." Clearing out foods that contain gluten, dairy, seed oils, refined sugars, and artificial additives is a crucial first step. Replacing them with whole, nutrient-dense alternatives ensures that your pantry supports your wellness goals.

🧹 Pantry Clean-Out Action Steps:

✅ Check Labels – Look for hidden gluten, dairy, seed oils, refined sugars, and artificial ingredients.

✅ Toss Unhealthy Oils – Remove vegetable, canola, soybean, and other processed seed oils. Replace with avocado, coconut, sunflower oil, olive oil and tallow.

✅ Ditch Processed & Packaged Foods – Say goodbye to ultra-processed snacks, cereals, and convenience meals.

✅ Replace Sugary & Artificial Ingredients – Swap refined sugars and artificial sweeteners for raw honey, or maple syrup.

✅ Stock Up on Healthy Staples – Keep nuts, seeds, organic spices, gluten-free grains, and quality protein sources on hand.

✅ Organize for Success – Store healthy snacks and meal essentials where they’re easy to access.

What Ingredients to Avoid

Reading labels is key to avoiding hidden unhealthy ingredients that can contribute to inflammation, gut issues, and poor overall health. Here are the top offenders to watch for:

1️⃣ Seed Oils & Processed Fats

These oils are highly refined, oxidize easily, and contribute to inflammation.

• 🔴 Avoid: Canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, rice bran oil, vegetable oil
• ✅ Better Alternatives: Avocado oil, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, grass-fed butter, ghee, and tallow.

2️⃣ Hidden Sugars & Artificial Sweeteners

Excess sugar leads to insulin resistance, inflammation, and energy crashes.

• 🔴 Avoid: High fructose corn syrup (HFCS), cane sugar, glucose, dextrose, maltodextrin, aspartame, sucralose
• ✅ Better Alternatives: Raw honey, pure maple syrup, and coconut sugar

3️⃣ Gluten & Refined Grains

Gluten can trigger inflammation and digestive issues, even in those without celiac disease.

• 🔴 Avoid: Wheat, white flour, enriched flour, barley, rye
• ✅ Better Alternatives: Almond flour, cassava flour, and coconut flour

4️⃣ Dairy (for those avoiding it)

Conventional dairy can cause inflammation and digestive distress.

• 🔴 Avoid: Cow’s milk, processed cheese, creamers with additives
• ✅ Better Alternatives: Coconut milk, almond milk, cashew cheese, ghee (if tolerated)

5️⃣ Artificial Preservatives & Additives

These synthetic chemicals can disrupt hormones and gut health.

• 🔴 Avoid: MSG (monosodium glutamate), carrageenan, BHT, BHA, nitrates, nitrites, food dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5)
• ✅ Better Alternatives: Whole, organic, preservative-free foods

6️⃣ Processed Soy Products

Most soy is genetically modified and can affect hormone balance.

• 🔴 Avoid: Soy protein isolate, soybean oil, soy lecithin (unless organic/non-GMO)
• ✅ Better Alternatives: Organic tempeh, coconut aminos instead of soy sauce

7️⃣ Highly Processed Packaged Foods

Even “healthy” packaged foods can have hidden additives and preservatives.

• 🔴 Avoid: Protein bars with long ingredient lists, instant flavored oatmeal, boxed “low-fat” meals
• ✅ Better Alternatives: Whole, fresh foods with minimal ingredients

Learn How To Food Prep & Plan Meals

Meal planning and food prep are essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle while saving time and reducing stress. By planning ahead, you can ensure you have nutritious, anti-inflammatory meals ready to go, making it easier to avoid unhealthy choices.

📝 Step 1: Create a Weekly Meal Plan

• ✅ Choose 3-5 staple meals you enjoy and rotate them
• ✅ Plan meals around whole foods—protein and healthy fats
• ✅ Consider batch cooking to save time during the week
• ✅ Use a simple template: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks

🛒 Step 2: Make a Grocery List

• ✅ Write a list based on your meal plan to avoid impulse buys
• ✅ Stick to whole, minimally processed foods
• ✅ Shop the perimeter of the store (produce, protein, fresh items)
• ✅ Choose organic when possible, especially for the Dirty Dozen

🥑 Step 3: Prep Ingredients in Advance

• ✅ Wash and chop vegetables for easy access
• ✅ Pre-marinate proteins for quick cooking
• ✅ Portion out snacks like nuts, seeds, or fresh fruit

🍳 Step 4: Batch Cook & Store Meals Properly

• ✅ Prepare larger portions of meals and store leftovers in glass containers
• ✅ Freeze extra portions for busy days
• ✅ Use mason jars for easy grab-and-go salads or smoothie ingredients

Sample Meal Planning Guide

Here's a 7-Day Basic Meal Plan that aligns with avoiding dairy, gluten, and seed oils while focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods. (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, No Seed Oils)

🗓 Day 1

• 🥑 Breakfast: Scrambled eggs cooked in ghee with sautéed spinach & avocado
• 🥗 Lunch: Grilled chicken salad with olive oil & lemon dressing, walnuts, and roasted sweet potatoes
• 🍽 Dinner: Baked salmon with roasted Brussels sprouts & mashed cauliflower

🗓 Day 2

• 🥣 Breakfast: Chia pudding with coconut milk, flaxseeds & berries
• 🥑 Lunch: Turkey & avocado lettuce wraps with cucumber slices and hummus
• 🍲 Dinner: Grass-fed beef stir-fry with coconut aminos & cauliflower rice

🗓 Day 3

• 🍳 Breakfast: Coconut flour pancakes with almond butter & fresh fruit
• 🥗 Lunch: Quinoa bowl with roasted veggies, tahini dressing & grilled shrimp
• 🥘 Dinner: Lemon garlic roasted chicken with sautéed kale & roasted carrots

🗓 Day 4

• 🍠 Breakfast: Sweet potato hash with pasture-raised eggs & avocado
• 🥑 Lunch: Mediterranean tuna salad with olives, cucumbers & lemon dressing
• 🥩 Dinner: Grass-fed steak with roasted asparagus & mashed parsnips

🗓 Day 5

• 🥣 Breakfast: Smoothie with coconut milk, collagen protein, spinach, banana, and almond butter
• 🥗 Lunch: Leftover roasted chicken with arugula, avocado, and olive oil dressing
• 🍲 Dinner: Zucchini noodles with turkey meatballs and homemade tomato sauce

🗓 Day 6

• 🍳 Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon & sautéed greens
• 🥑 Lunch: Stuffed bell peppers with ground turkey, quinoa & avocado
• 🥘 Dinner: Grilled mahi-mahi with roasted zucchini & cauliflower mash

🗓 Day 7

• 🥥 Breakfast: Coconut yogurt with walnuts, flaxseeds, and fresh berries
• 🥗 Lunch: Collard green wraps with hummus, turkey, cucumber & sprouts
• 🍽 Dinner: Slow-cooked lamb with roasted root vegetables

Sample Grocery List for 7 Day Menu

🥕 Grocery List for 7-Day Meal Plan

Proteins

• 12 eggs (pasture-raised, organic)
• 4 chicken breasts or thighs (preferably organic or pasture-raised)
• 1 lb grass-fed beef (stir-fry cuts or ground)
• 4 salmon fillets
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 lb turkey meatballs or 1 lb ground turkey to make meatballs
• 4-6 oz smoked salmon
• 1 lb grass-fed steak (ribeye, sirloin, etc.)
• 2-3 cans of tuna (packed in olive oil)
• 1 lb shrimp (fresh or frozen, preferably wild-caught)
• 1-2 lbs lamb (shoulder or leg for slow-cooking)

Vegetables

• 1 large bag spinach (fresh or frozen)
• 1-2 large heads of kale (fresh)
• 1-2 bunches of asparagus
• 2-3 zucchini (for noodles and roasting)
• 2-3 sweet potatoes
• 2 heads of cauliflower (fresh or frozen)
• 2 large bell peppers (for stuffing)
• 1-2 bunches of carrots
• 1 bunch of collard greens (for wraps)
• 2 avocados
• 2-3 cucumbers
• 1 bag of Brussels sprouts
• 1-2 bags arugula
• 1 bag or bunch of parsley or cilantro (optional for garnish)
• 1 bunch green onions

Fruits

• 1-2 bunches bananas
• 1-2 cups fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.)
• 2-3 lemons
• 2-3 limes
• 1 apple (optional for smoothies or snacks)

Grains & Legumes

• 1 bag quinoa
• 1 bag chia seeds
• 1 bag flaxseeds
• 1 bag coconut flour
• 1 bag coconut aminos (as a soy sauce alternative)

Nuts & Seeds

• 1 bag walnuts
• 1 jar almond butter
• 1 bag almond flour (optional for pancakes)
• 1 bag sunflower seeds (optional for salads or snacks)

Canned & Jarred Items

• 1 jar tahini
• 1 jar olive oil (for cooking & dressing)
• 1 jar coconut oil (for cooking & baking)
• 1 can coconut milk (for smoothies & chia pudding)
• 1 can full-fat coconut yogurt (for breakfast)

Herbs & Spices

• Sea salt or Himalayan pink salt
• Ground black pepper
• Garlic (fresh or pre-minced)
• Fresh or dried thyme
• Fresh or dried rosemary
• Ground turmeric
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground ginger
• Ground cumin
• Ground paprika
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Other

• 1-2 jars of natural almond or sunflower butter (for snacks and smoothies)
• 1 jar coconut yogurt (for topping or breakfast)

Additional Notes:

• For meal prepping and cooking, you’ll need some ghee or coconut oil for cooking, especially when sautéing or roasting vegetables.
• Consider buying organic or pasture-raised products where possible for better nutritional quality.
• If you’re running low on items like spices or oils, buy larger quantities that will last beyond this meal plan.

Final Thoughts

Reading food labels is a crucial skill for anyone looking to make healthier dietary choices, especially for those with specific health goals or food sensitivities. Labels provide valuable information about the nutritional content, ingredients, and sourcing of food products. By understanding how to interpret these labels, individuals can avoid hidden sugars, unhealthy fats, or artificial additives, making it easier to align with personal dietary preferences such as avoiding gluten, dairy, or seed oils. This knowledge allows consumers to make more informed decisions, ultimately improving their overall health and well-being.

In addition to the obvious benefits of avoiding allergens and unhealthy ingredients, reading labels can help consumers avoid processed foods that are typically loaded with preservatives and chemicals that can negatively affect the body over time. For those on specific diets or with health conditions, learning how to read food labels can be empowering, providing clarity on what foods to incorporate and what to avoid. This practice encourages a proactive approach to nutrition, enabling individuals to take control of their health in a world where packaged food is often the default choice.

Ultimately, understanding food labels is an essential component of long-term health and well-being. It can be overwhelming at first, but the more you practice, the more confident you’ll become in choosing the best food options for yourself and your family. Whether you're learning to make healthier choices, managing a health condition, or simply aiming to maintain optimal health, knowing how to read food labels is a powerful tool that supports mindful eating and better living.

About Me

Dr. Michelle is warm, welcoming and knowledgeable, and passionate about sharing that knowledge with patients so she can guide and empower them to take charge of their own health. She loves helping people develop a better mind-body connection so they can function and thrive in today’s challenging world.

Dr. Michelle already had a career when she suffered a severe knee injury while skiing. After surgery, she had physical therapy, but realized the only thing that helped with her limp was her regular chiropractic care. She asked her chiropractor if he thought she’d be a good chiropractor, and he encouraged her to pursue the chiropractic path. At the age of 43, she switched careers and went to chiropractic school. She received her Doctor of Chiropractic from Life Chiropractic College West in 2008, and practiced in California until 2016, when she moved to Colorado and opened Caplan Chiropractic. She has extensive post-graduate training and certifications.

In 2010, Dr. Michelle suffered another health crisis and was repeatedly told there was nothing wrong. Through functional medicine, she was able to get to the root of her problem and resolve it. She’s passionate about sharing that holistic approach with patients, so they can understand that health comes from within. Knowledge is power, and education is the key to acquiring more knowledge. She offers that education to patients so they can take control of their own wellness.