How often do you read the facts panels on packages of food and beverages you consume? If they were easier to understand, would you use them more often? The French High Council for Public Health believes a 5-color nutrition label is the most effective, and a study published in the journal Nutrients explains why.

Each product is rated on a scale of green, yellow, orange, pink and red, based on levels of calories, sugar, saturated fat, sodium, fiber, protein and amounts of fruits and vegetables per 100 grams. Basically, this system helps factor all those things into one simple color representing good, bad or somewhere in between.

A web-based questionnaire tested consumer responses to frozen fish, pizza, dairy, breakfast products and appetizers and found that people who typically make bad food decisions had a much easier time figuring out what was their most nutritionally sound choice with this 5-color system.

True Strength Moment: Understanding facts panels on various food products isn’t that difficult. But there is an online resource available to help you increase your experience on judging the quality and value of protein powders. Read ON’s Protein Report and apply this knowledge before your next purchase.