There is a lot of variety in the grocery store whether it comes to eggs, produce, pasta or frozen meals, but there are really just two types of consumers: those who read nutrition labels or those who don’t.

Food labels, required on most foods by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, tell people what’s in their granola bar, a bag of rice or a beverage. They are designed to help people track total calories, macronutrients – protein, fats, fiber and carbohydrates – and the amount of additives like sugar, salt and colorants. Labels are also designed to help consumers check for common allergens, such as peanuts or sesame seeds.

Food labels including serving size and calories per serving, plus additional nutritional guidelines based on a daily intake of 2,000 calories (intake per person could vary depending on their lifestyle).

“It’s a guideline,” says Dan Navarro, a registered dietitian and diabetes educator at Salinas Valley Health. Navarro works at SVH’s Lifestyle and Metabolic Program, a weight loss program that provides treatment and education to patients who are struggling with obesity. He says labels are a guide, but adds that every person’s diet has different variables, depending on how active they are, what they can afford or what cultural preferences they have.

In general, he suggests focusing on the big nutrition label, rather than the list of ingredients in tiny print. Some additives, like sugar, can appear under different names including dextrin, maltodextrin or high-fructose corn syrup.

Navarro recommends opting for foods with less saturated fat (which increases cholesterol levels and the risk for heart disease and stroke), less sodium and less added sugar.

“More fat, that means higher calories. Usually you want it to be less than 10 grams on the nutrition label,” he says.

While many drinks, candies and fruit are high in sugar, not all sugars are created equal.

“People tend to be so scared of fruit sugars [in whole fruit] but in reality, those are always combined with fiber and nutrients, so they don’t compare like somebody eats a chocolate bar,” Navarro says. Added sugars are listed separately on nutrition labels, making them easier to identify.

Nutrition experts caution against categorizing “good” or “bad” foods too strictly, which can create an unhealthy relationship with food. “Food is so much more complex and complicated than that. We want to look at not only the salt, the sugar, the fat, but what does that food have that is good for us?” says Leslie Pinkerton, a clinical dietitian and diabetes educator at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.

“There’s a lot of demonizing about processed foods and choosing fresh foods over processed foods. Rather than demonizing individual foods, we really like to focus on improving our overall dietary pattern, looking at cost and convenience and affordability for people to be able to make informed choices that work for them,” Pinkerton says. This can be a mix-and-match approach: “Some people want to look more at the salt for their blood pressure or heart health, and some people want to look more at the sugar for diabetes prevention or weight management.”

It can be easy to forget that food is good for us. In December, FDA officials testified to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health in a session titled, “What is the FDA doing to reduce the diabetes and obesity epidemics in America and take on the greed of the food and beverage industry?”

“The food we eat is exacerbating America’s tragic title for the lowest life expectancy among large high-income countries,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said.

He went on to describe the relationship specifically between ultraprocessed foods and poor health outcomes – and noted that the most dangerous foods are generally high in saturated fat, sodium and added sugars. Federal officials are now exploring the possibility of an additional food label flagging “ultraprocessed” foods.

But of course, the reality is that processed foods are part of the modern American diet. Everything from canned goods to cereals, snacks to frozen meals, fit with a hectic modern lifestyle, can be budget-friendly and taste good. Even home cooks may rely on frozen foods or pre-packaged, processed ingredients. “Not everyone can buy whole foods sometimes,” Navarro notes. “That’s where I come in, is to help people and kind of guide them: ‘OK, if you have to buy canned foods what are some tips and tricks that can teach you to reduce a little bit of the sodium?’

“You have to base it off the individual and see what their issues are, what they’re dealing with, and what their day-to-day environment is.”

Incorporating practical considerations and preferences is part of the guidance that both Pinkerton and Navarro recommend. Carbs are often demonized, thanks to popular diets like keto or paleo, but Pinkerton warns that could be counterproductive. “We don’t recommend for people to cut out their carbohydrates completely, because we need about 50 percent of our intake from carbohydrates for energy,” she says. “Carbohydrates break down into glucose in the blood, which provides energy to the brain and the entire body.”

Pinkerton suggests using tracking apps like My Fitness Pal or Chrometer, which both offer a free version, to track intake of macros and calories to get a general sense of where you are in relation to nutrition goals.

Navarro also suggests pairing favorite processed foods with fresher, whole ingredients. One idea: make a salad then top it with frozen chicken tenders. Cultural staples like rice or tortillas need not go away, but can be eaten in moderation. “We still want people to enjoy what they eat, but give them that mentality of, you have options. How to build balance with your meals is really important, and that’s going to be what’s really going to keep people sustainable with their goals,” Navarro says.

Both dietitians say people should prepare balanced meals they enjoy. “We should never feel guilty about eating food, because we literally need to eat to live. Enjoying food is an important part of life,” Pinkerton says. “It’s easy to over focus on the calories, but nutrition is so much more than that.”