Found something on a label and want to know what to use instead? Search an ingredient, or search the food you are actually holding, like bread or soda.
Got the whole ingredient list in front of you? Paste it into the Label Decoder and it will tell you what is in there.
Showing all 13 ingredients, 59 swaps.
Artificial Food Colors (e.g., Red 40, Yellow 5)
Where it hides
Candy, gummy snacks, and fruit chews · Breakfast cereals (especially those marketed to children) · Sports drinks, sodas, and juice-flavored beverages · Frosting, cake mixes, and baked goods · Flavored chips and snack coatings · Ice cream and popsicles
Use instead
- Foods colored with beet juice, turmeric, spirulina, or paprika extract
- Brands that use "no artificial colors" (many major brands now offer clean versions)
- Whole-fruit snacks and homemade popsicles instead of dyed versions
- Natural food coloring kits for baking (India Tree, Color Garden)
- European versions of the same products (often reformulated without synthetic dyes)
Artificial Sweeteners (Aspartame, Sucralose)
Where it hides
Diet sodas and “zero sugar” soft drinks · Sugar-free gum and mints · Tabletop sweetener packets (the blue and yellow packets) · “Light” or “no sugar added” yogurts and gelatin cups · Protein powders and bars marketed as low sugar · Flavored waters and sugar-free drink mixes
Use instead
Best simple swap rule: get sweetness from whole foods first, and treat any sweetener, natural or artificial, as a small add-on rather than the main event. Options that tend to work well:
- Sparkling water with muddled fruit, citrus, or a splash of 100% juice in place of diet soda
- Whole fruit to satisfy a sweet craving, since it brings fiber and water along with the sugar
- Small amounts of less-processed sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or dates when you do want to sweeten something
- If you prefer a zero-calorie option, monk fruit or stevia are plant-derived choices, though they are still concentrated sweeteners
Azodicarbonamide (ADA)
Where it hides
Packaged sandwich bread and dinner rolls · Hamburger and hot dog buns · Bagels and English muffins · Pizza dough and flatbreads · Some fast-food buns, though many chains have removed it
Use instead
Best simple swap rule: choose bread whose ingredient list looks like a recipe, not a chemistry set. Cleaner options include:
- Breads listing mostly flour, water, salt, and yeast (plus seeds or whole grains)
- Organic bread, since azodicarbonamide is not permitted in organic products
- Fresh bakery or sourdough loaves, which typically skip dough conditioners
- Brands that state “no azodicarbonamide” or “no artificial dough conditioners”
Bisphenol A (BPA) (can lining chemical)
Where it hides
Canned beans (black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, baked beans) · Canned tomatoes + tomato sauces · Canned soups, broths, chili · Canned fish (tuna, salmon) · Some canned coconut milk
Use instead
Look for these “cleaner” packaging moves:
- “BPA-free can lining” (still check what they replaced it with)
- Glass jars (beans, sauces, soups)
- Cartons (some beans/broths come in Tetra Pak-style cartons)
- Dry beans (bulk or bagged) + cook at home (cheapest + cleanest)
Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)
Where it hides
Breakfast cereals (especially flaked and puffed varieties) · Chewing gum · Chips, crackers, and snack mixes · Butter and shortening · Instant mashed potatoes and dehydrated foods · Food packaging and cereal box liners (migrates into food)
Use instead
- Cereals and snacks preserved with tocopherols (vitamin E)
- Brands that explicitly state "no BHT" or "no artificial preservatives"
- Whole-grain oats and homemade granola instead of boxed cereals
- Fresh-baked goods from bakeries using simple ingredient lists
- Nuts, seeds, and dried fruit as snack alternatives
Emulsifiers (Polysorbate 80, CMC)
Where it hides
Ice cream and frozen desserts · Salad dressings and mayonnaise · Bread and baked goods · Non-dairy creamers and plant milks · Sauces, gravies, and condiments · Candy and chocolate coatings
Use instead
- Egg yolks (natural emulsifier for dressings and sauces)
- Mustard (stabilizes vinaigrettes naturally)
- Lecithin from sunflower (cleaner emulsifier, found in some organic products)
- Homemade dressings with olive oil, vinegar, and a pinch of mustard
- Brands labeled "no artificial additives" or short-ingredient-list products
High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
Where it hides
Soft drinks, fruit juices, and sweetened beverages · Bread, rolls, and hamburger buns · Breakfast cereals and granola bars · Ketchup, BBQ sauce, and salad dressings · Yogurt (flavored varieties) · Candy, cookies, and packaged desserts
Use instead
- Water, sparkling water, or unsweetened tea instead of soft drinks
- Raw honey or pure maple syrup (in moderation) for sweetening
- Whole fruit for sweetness with fiber to slow absorption
- Bread and buns with no added sweeteners (check ingredient list)
- Homemade sauces and dressings to control sugar content
Maltodextrin
Where it hides
Protein bars and powders · Salad dressings and sauces · Chips, crackers, and snack foods · Instant soups and gravies · "Sugar-free" and "low-fat" products (used as bulk filler) · Baby food and infant formula
Use instead
- Tapioca starch (thickener with lower GI)
- Arrowroot powder (clean thickener for sauces)
- Whole food protein sources instead of maltodextrin-heavy protein powders
- Read labels on "health" foods, many protein bars list maltodextrin as a top-3 ingredient
Potassium Bromate
Where it hides
White bread / sandwich bread · Hamburger & hot dog buns · Bagels · Pizza crust · Flour tortillas
Use instead
Look for breads that say:
- Unbromated flour
- No potassium bromate
- Organic (still check labels, but generally cleaner ingredient standards)
- Ingredients that look like: flour + water + yeast + salt
- Optional: olive oil, seeds, herbs, but no lab-sounding conditioners
Refined Seed Oils (Soybean, Corn, Canola)
Where it hides
Restaurant and fast food (primary cooking oil) · Packaged snacks, chips, and crackers · Salad dressings and mayonnaise · Margarine and vegetable shortening · Fried foods and frozen meals · Baked goods (cookies, muffins, bread)
Use instead
- Extra virgin olive oil (for low to medium-heat cooking and dressings)
- Avocado oil (high smoke point, good for searing and roasting)
- Coconut oil (stable at high heat, good for baking)
- Butter or ghee from grass-fed sources
- Tallow or lard (traditional cooking fats, heat-stable)
Sodium Nitrite & Nitrates
Where it hides
Bacon and turkey bacon · Hot dogs and sausages · Deli meats (ham, salami, bologna, pastrami) · Pepperoni and cured pizza toppings · Beef jerky and meat snacks · Smoked salmon and cured fish
Use instead
- Uncured meats that use celery powder or cherry powder as natural preservatives
- Fresh-cooked chicken, turkey, or roast beef sliced for sandwiches
- Nitrate-free bacon and sausage brands (check for "no added nitrites" labels)
- Homemade jerky using a dehydrator and simple seasonings
- Smoked tofu or tempeh as plant-based deli alternatives
TBHQ (tert-Butylhydroquinone)
Where it hides
Fast food (especially fried items like chicken nuggets and fries) · Microwave popcorn · Frozen pizza and frozen meals · Crackers, chips, and packaged snacks · Ramen noodles and instant soups · Commercial cooking oils and shortening
Use instead
- Foods preserved with vitamin E (tocopherols) instead of TBHQ
- Snacks cooked in coconut oil, avocado oil, or olive oil
- Air-popped popcorn with real butter instead of microwave bags
- Homemade versions of fried foods using stable cooking fats
- Check labels for "TBHQ" or "tert-Butylhydroquinone" in the ingredient list
Titanium Dioxide (E171)
Where it hides
Candy coatings and “shells” (bright, glossy candies) · Chewing gum · Frostings / icings and bright-white desserts · Powdered donuts / cake decorations · Coffee creamers and some powdered drink mixes · Protein bars / “health” snacks that want that bright, polished look
Use instead
Best simple swap rule: choose products that achieve color from real ingredients, not whitening agents. Cleaner-looking options include:
- Candies/snacks colored with fruit/vegetable concentrates, cocoa, spices, or no added color
- Frostings made with real dairy/butter, vanilla, or coconut-based versions that don’t need “brighteners”
- Gum/candy brands that explicitly say “no titanium dioxide” (many “clean label” brands do)
Nothing matched that. Try a broader word, like bread, oil, or sweetener.
Browse the full Dirty List →
Staple swaps
Trying to eat more of something rather than less? Find a food by nutrient.
The list above is for when you are reading a label. This part is for when you are standing in the aisle deciding what to buy. Every option comes with its real tradeoff, because a swap nobody sticks with is not an upgrade.
White RiceHalf brown, half white is the whole swap
Why people look for an alternative
White rice is milled so the bran and germ come off, which takes most of the fiber with them. A cup of cooked white rice has under a gram. That is not a scandal, it is a refined grain, and a few billion people eat it daily without issue. The problem shows up when it is the base of most meals, in large servings, without much protein or fat alongside to slow it down. That is the version that leaves you hungry ninety minutes later.
What you can use instead
- Brown rice. About 3.5g of fiber per cooked cup instead of 0.6g. chewier, takes 40 to 45 minutes, and plenty of people simply do not like it. It also carries slightly more inorganic arsenic, since arsenic concentrates in the bran. Rinsing before cooking and using extra water reduces it.
- Half brown, half white. Cook them together. almost none, which is the point.
- Quinoa. Around 5g fiber and 8g protein per cup, and a complete protein. costs more, distinct flavor, and needs a proper rinse or it tastes soapy.
- Lentils. Far more fiber and protein than any rice. not a rice texture at all. A different dish, not a substitution.
- Barley or farro. Chewy, nutty, high fiber. both contain gluten, and both take longer.
- Cauliflower rice. A fraction of the calories and carbs. it is a vegetable doing an impression of a grain. It is not filling, and a lot of people eat a light dinner and then raid the cupboard at nine.
What you would actually gain
Per 1 cup cooked, from USDA FoodData Central.
| Per 1 cup cooked | Fiber | Protein | Magnesium | Folate | Iron |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White rice | 0.6g | 4.3g | 19.0mg | 153.0mcg | 1.9mg |
| Brown rice | 3.2g | 5.5g | 79.0mg | 18.0mcg | 1.1mg |
| Quinoa | 5.2g | 8.1g | 118.0mg | 78.0mcg | 2.8mg |
| Barley | 6.0g | 3.5g | 35.0mg | 25.0mcg | 2.1mg |
| Lentils | 15.6g | 17.9g | 71.0mg | 358.0mcg | 6.6mg |
That folate number needs an asterisk, and it is a useful one. White rice is enriched, which is a manufacturing step, not something the grain kept. It is worth knowing why it exists: the United States requires refined grain products to be enriched, precisely because refining strips them. Other countries make different calls on both fortification and on which additives are allowed in the first place, so treat a US label standard as a description of US policy, not as a verdict on whether a food is good. Milling strips the bran and germ, then the mill adds back a short list: iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid. That is about five nutrients returned out of the dozens milling removed, and the folate added is synthetic folic acid rather than the folate a whole food carries. The figure is also reported in dietary folate equivalents, which counts folic acid from fortified food as roughly 1.7 times food folate, so part of that number is an accounting multiplier. Now look at the fiber and magnesium columns, which is what enrichment does not put back: 0.6g against 3.2g, and 19mg against 79mg. And lentils are not competing with either of them, they are in a different league.
Cook half brown and half white together. You roughly double the fiber, keep a texture you actually like, and it takes no willpower on a Tuesday night.
What not to assume
Brown is not automatically the better choice. If you switch to brown, hate it, and quietly stop cooking rice in favour of takeout, white rice was the healthier option. The best grain is the one you keep eating on purpose.
SodaFix the ritual, not just the sugar
Why people look for an alternative
A 12 ounce can holds around 39g of added sugar, at or over an entire day’s recommended limit in one drink. Liquid sugar also does not register as fullness the way food does, so it lands on top of everything else you eat rather than replacing any of it.
Worth naming honestly: for most people this habit is not really about sugar. It is about cold, fizzy, and three in the afternoon. Swaps that ignore the ritual fail.
What you can use instead
- Sparkling water with real citrus or muddled fruit. Closest match to the ritual: cold, carbonated, something to hold. no sweetness, and it takes a week or two before it stops feeling like a downgrade.
- Sparkling water with a splash of 100% juice. Roughly 5 to 8g of sugar instead of 39g. still stripped sugar, just far less of it. A bridge while your palate adjusts, not the destination.
- Unsweetened iced tea or cold brew. caffeine, which matters if the craving hits at 4pm and you want to sleep.
- Kombucha. Fizzy, slightly sweet, some fermentation benefit. expensive per serving, and the sugar range between brands is enormous. Some are barely better than soda.
- Diet soda. It does solve the sugar problem, and that is real. It also brings its own open question: IARC classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans, Group 2B, in 2023, and the WHO advised against non-sugar sweeteners for weight control the same year. As a step down from three regular sodas a day it is progress. As a permanent destination it is a judgment call, and you should make it knowing both halves. See the full entry.
Keep sparkling water cold and at the front of the fridge, and put the soda somewhere annoying. Most of this habit is proximity, not craving.
What not to assume
That the word natural on a label changes what the sugar does. Cane sugar soda and Coke behave the same way. Juice is the more interesting case, and it is worth being precise about it. A whole orange and a glass of orange juice are not the same food. The orange arrives with its fiber and water still attached and takes real time to eat, which is why your body handles it slowly. Juicing removes the fiber, and the fiber was the part doing the work. That is why juice behaves more like soda than like the fruit it came from, even though it started as an orange and still carries some vitamin C. The line that matters is not natural against artificial. It is whole against stripped, and juicing is a form of stripping.
BreadThe label rule beats any brand
Why people look for an alternative
Bread is where the ingredient list gets long. It is one of the most common places to find dough conditioners and preservatives, and the labelling is genuinely misleading: wheat bread, multigrain, and made with whole grains can all describe bread that is mostly refined white flour. Colour tells you nothing, because caramel colouring makes white bread look brown.
What you can use instead
- 100% whole wheat, where the first ingredient is whole wheat flour. denser, and it stales faster. The label rule is the entire swap, no brand loyalty required.
- Real sourdough. Long fermentation, traditionally three ingredients. most supermarket sourdough is ordinary bread with sourdough flavouring added. If the list has yeast and conditioners, it is not the thing.
- Sprouted grain bread. More fiber and protein, and some contain no flour at all. costs roughly double, lives in the freezer, and the texture is heavy.
- Rye or pumpernickel. High fiber, very slow to digest. assertive flavour, and not the bread a seven year old will accept.
- A short-list loaf from a real bakery. goes stale in two or three days, precisely because it does not contain what keeps supermarket bread soft for two weeks.
What you would actually gain
Per 1 slice (32g), from USDA FoodData Central. Sprouted and real sourdough breads vary too much by producer to table honestly.
| Per 1 slice (32g) | Fiber | Protein | Magnesium | Folate | Iron |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White bread | 0.7g | 2.6g | 8.0mg | 55.0mcg | 1.0mg |
| Whole wheat bread | 1.9g | 4.0g | 24.0mg | 13.0mcg | 0.8mg |
| Rye bread | 1.9g | 2.7g | 13.0mg | 48.0mcg | 0.9mg |
Same asterisk as the rice. White bread beats whole wheat on folate only because it is enriched: the folic acid was added at the mill to replace part of what refining removed, and it is counted at roughly 1.7 times food folate under the dietary folate equivalent system. It is a patch on a stripped product, not a reason to buy it. The honest gap is fiber, and it is real but smaller than most people picture: about one extra gram per slice. Over a sandwich that is two grams, which adds up across a year and does very little in a day.
Turn the bag over before it goes in the cart. Buy the loaf whose first ingredient is whole wheat flour and whose list reads like a recipe instead of a chemistry set. That one habit outperforms picking any specific brand.
What not to assume
That the front of the package tells you anything. Multigrain means more than one grain, refined or not. Made with whole grains can mean one percent. The only claim regulated tightly enough to trust is the ingredient list itself. See the entries on azodicarbonamide and potassium bromate.
Seed OilsTwo questions, and only one of them is contested
Why people look for an alternative
Start with how you actually meet them, because that decides what matters. Soybean oil is the most-consumed added fat in the American diet, and it reaches most people three ways: restaurant and fast-food fryers, packaged snacks, and the one almost nobody counts, salad dressings and mayonnaise. That last one arrives cold and never sees heat at all. Almost none of it is the bottle in your kitchen.
Here is where we will be straighter than most of the internet, because there are two different questions and they get mashed together constantly.
One: are seed oils harmful in the diet? Genuinely contested. There is real research raising real questions about the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, and a large body of work that finds no cause for alarm. Major food-safety bodies still consider them acceptable. Anyone telling you this one is settled, in either direction, is selling something.
Two: what happens when you heat them repeatedly to frying temperature? Much better established, and far less contested. Polyunsaturated oils oxidise under sustained high heat and form degradation products including aldehydes, and the oil degrades further every time it is reused. This is not a fringe position: many countries set legal limits on total polar compounds in commercial frying oil precisely because degraded fryer oil is recognised as worth regulating.
This is why the two questions land on different foods. Heat degradation applies to the fryer and to fried packaged snacks, and worsens the longer that oil is reused. The omega-6 question applies hot or cold, which means the dressing on your salad counts exactly as much as the fries do.
What you can use instead
- Extra virgin olive oil. The best-studied cooking fat there is, and extra virgin means mechanically pressed rather than chemically refined, which is the actual difference between it and the oils at the top of this page. it smokes around 375F, so it is not your searing oil. Flavour is assertive, and adulteration is common, so buy one with a harvest date.
- Avocado oil. Neutral, and it handles real heat, around 500F. expensive, and testing has repeatedly found bottles cut with cheaper oils. Buy a brand that publishes its sourcing.
- Olive oil and vinegar instead of bottled dressing. The single biggest cold-use swap available. thirty seconds of shaking a jar, and it does not last a month in the fridge.
- Butter or ghee. Good flavour, and ghee takes more heat because the milk solids are gone. saturated fat, its own long-running argument and not one this page will settle for you.
- Coconut oil. Very stable at high heat. the highest saturated fat here, and it makes food taste like coconut, which is either the point or a dealbreaker.
- Simply less oil. Roasting, steaming, or starting a pan with a splash of water or broth. less flavour and a short learning curve, but it is free.
Two bottles cover almost all home cooking: extra virgin olive oil up to a medium heat, and avocado oil when you genuinely need a hard sear. Then make your own dressing, because that is where the volume quietly hides.
What not to assume
That swapping the bottle in your kitchen is the win. It is the smallest of your three sources. Fried restaurant food, packaged snacks and commercial dressings are where the volume is, and the first two are also the repeatedly-heated version. Buying a nicer olive oil while eating out five nights a week barely moves the number. Cooking at home more, and shaking up a dressing instead of buying one, moves it a lot. The oil is not really the intervention. The cooking is. See the full entry.