Clean Eating Brands: How to Compare Labels, Claims and Processing per Serving

“Clean” is not a regulated label term: there is no regulatory or legal definition for “clean label,” so clean eating brands are easiest to compare by what every package has to show, which is the serving size, the Nutrition Facts and the ingredient list. [1] [2] [3] Some nearby words do have rules: “organic” means at least 95% organic ingredients, “low sodium” means 140 mg or less per reference amount, and “healthy” must meet FDA limits for added sugars, saturated fat and sodium. [4] [5] [6] Processing shows up in the numbers, not in the word: by our calculation from USDA data, a 130 g serving of canned kidney beans has about 335 mg of sodium, against less than 5 mg for kidney beans cooked from dry without salt. [7] [8]

This page compares package words and nutrition numbers for adults shopping for food. It does not rank or name brands or products, and it does not rate any food.

Safety first. If you or someone you shop for has a food allergy, read the ingredient list and the “Contains” statement on every package, every time; words like “clean” or “natural” are not allergen statements, and a food that uses them can still contain milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans or sesame. [9] A mild reaction does not always mean the allergy is mild, and any allergic reaction can lead to anaphylaxis. [9] If someone has a serious or whole-body reaction after eating, especially wheezing or trouble breathing, use prescribed epinephrine as soon as possible, even before calling 911, and call 911 or the local emergency number. [10]

Use the food-comparison guide

Food-comparison guide: the same food, processed different ways

Each serving is the FDA reference amount for the food’s category: 140 g for fresh fruit, 240 mL for juice, 40 g for plain dry hot cereal, 170 g for yogurt, 2 tablespoons for nut butters, 90 g for beans cooked from dry, 130 g for beans canned in liquid, 85 g for fresh vegetables and 130 g for canned tomatoes. [8] Instant oatmeal is shown as one USDA packet, and juice as one USDA cup of 8 fl oz. [7] Each value is the USDA amount per 100 g multiplied by the serving weight, and each %DV uses the FDA Daily Values of 2,300 mg for sodium, 28 g for dietary fiber and 20 g for saturated fat. [7] [11] Total sugars have no Daily Value, so that column shows grams only. [12]

Rounding is ours: sodium to the nearest 5 mg, grams to the nearest 0.5 and %DV to the nearest 1%. Serving weights can differ within a group because the reference amounts differ, as they do for beans cooked from dry and beans canned in liquid. These are averages from reference data, not the label of any product.

What the numbers show

• Salt added in processing shows up as sodium. Canned kidney beans have 335 mg per serving against less than 5 mg cooked from dry without salt; canned tomatoes have 150 mg against 15 mg for the no-salt-added version; and peanut butter with salt has 135 mg per 2 tablespoons against 5 mg without. [7] For savory cooking with less sodium, see these low salt asian recipes.
• Sweetened versions add sugars. Low-fat fruit yogurt has 31.5 g of total sugars per 170 g against 12 g for plain, and the maple and brown sugar oatmeal packet has 13 g against less than 0.5 g for the plain packet. [7] Plain yogurt’s sugars come from milk, which FDA does not count as added sugars; the Added Sugars line on the package shows how much was added. [13]
• A plain convenience version can still add sodium. The plain instant oatmeal packet has 60 mg of sodium, against less than 5 mg for 40 g of regular oats. [7]
• Juicing changes fiber. 1 cup of unsweetened apple juice has 24 g of total sugars and less than 0.5 g of fiber; a 140 g apple has 14.5 g of total sugars and 3.5 g of fiber. [7] “Unsweetened” means no sweetener was added; when concentrated fruit juice is used as an ingredient in another food, FDA counts its sugars as added sugars. [13]
• None of these differences is in the word “clean.” Each of them shows on the Nutrition Facts label.

How sure these numbers are

• Every row uses a USDA SR Legacy record: historical data derived from analyses, calculations and published literature, with a final update in 2018. Products sold today, and any one brand, can differ. [7]
• The sodium value for peanut butter without salt was imputed by USDA, not measured in samples. [7]
• The sodium value for the low sodium canned kidney beans was back-calculated from a product label. At today’s 130 g reference amount it works out to about 150 mg, above the 140 mg limit for a “low sodium” claim, so read USDA food names as descriptions and check the Nutrition Facts on the can. [7] [5]
• The total sugars values for both yogurts were calculated from other nutrients rather than measured, and most saturated fat values in the table are calculated. [7]

What common package words mean

Some words on a package follow a federal rule and some do not. This table separates them, and the last column lists what each word leaves out.

Worksheet: compare two products step by step

Use these steps with two packages of the same kind of food side by side.

• Match the serving. Serving sizes are standardized to make similar foods easier to compare, but they are not a recommendation, and every amount on the label refers to one serving. [2] Compare %DV only when the two serving sizes are the same. [12] The food label reading worksheet walks through each line.
• Read the same lines on both. Sodium, added sugars, saturated fat and dietary fiber each have a %DV; 5% DV or less per serving is low and 20% DV or more is high. [12] [11] Total sugars have no %DV, so compare grams. [12]
• Separate total and added sugars. “Includes” before Added Sugars means those grams are part of Total Sugars; sugars that come from milk and fruit are not counted as added. [13]
• Read the ingredient list from the top. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. [3] Certified colors are named on the label, while most colors from natural sources may be listed together as “color added.” [19]
• Sort the package words. Use the table above to tell regulated claims from words with no legal definition, such as “clean.” [1]
• Check the allergen statement. Major food allergens are declared in the ingredient list or in a “Contains” statement next to it. [9]

What this page cannot tell you

• Which brand to buy. This page does not rank brands or products.
• What a particular company means by “clean.” The meaning of the term may be different to different people, so look for the company’s own definition. [1]
• The current values for a specific product. Formulas change, so read the package you buy.
• This page covers package words and nutrient amounts only.

Common questions

What do clean eating brands mean by “clean”?

There is no regulatory or legal definition for “clean label.” The term tends to mean natural ingredients, simplicity, transparency and minimal processing, and a shorter ingredient list or words like “natural,” “simple,” “no artificial” and “no preservatives” are how shoppers usually spot it. [1] Compare the Nutrition Facts and the ingredient list instead. [2]

Is “natural” the same as “organic”?

No. “Organic” follows USDA rules on organic ingredients, with tiers at 100%, 95% and 70%. [4] “Natural” on most foods follows a longstanding FDA policy against added artificial or synthetic ingredients, which does not address pesticide use or processing methods. [14]

Does “no artificial colors” mean a food has no added color?

Not anymore. Since February 5, 2026, FDA has said it does not intend to take enforcement action against the claim on foods with no FD&C certified colors, even if they contain colors from natural sources; before that, the claim generally meant no added color at all. [17] [18] The ingredient list shows which colors were used. [19]

Is there an official definition of ultra-processed food?

Not yet. FDA and USDA asked for public input in July 2025, and the first proposed federal definition was submitted for final review in August 2026. [21] [22] Until a definition is final, “ultra-processed” and “minimally processed” on packages or in ads follow no federal standard.

Does a shorter ingredient list mean less sodium or sugar?

Not necessarily. Salt and sugar are single ingredients: the USDA records for peanut butter with and without salt differ by about 130 mg of sodium per 2 tablespoons. [7] The ingredient list shows order by weight, and the Nutrition Facts show the amounts. [3] [2]

How do I compare canned and fresh versions of a food?

Compare the sodium line first. Canned tomatoes have 150 mg of sodium per 130 g and the no-salt-added version 15 mg, by our calculation from USDA data. [7] A “no salt added” food that is not sodium free has to say so on the label. [5]

More guides on everyday food choices are in Nutrition and practical resources.

Safety first. If you or someone you shop for has a food allergy, read the ingredient list and the “Contains” statement on every package, every time; words like “clean” or “natural” are not allergen statements, and a food that uses them can still contain milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans or sesame. [9] A mild reaction does not always mean the allergy is mild, and any allergic reaction can lead to anaphylaxis. [9] If someone has a serious or whole-body reaction after eating, especially wheezing or trouble breathing, use prescribed epinephrine as soon as possible, even before calling 911, and call 911 or the local emergency number. [10]

Use the food-comparison guide

Sources and limitations

1. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension: Clean Labeling and the “Real Food” Movement (Bulletin 1476). An extension bulletin written for food producers in 2023.
2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label. General label-reading guidance; it does not evaluate any product.
3. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 21 CFR 101.4, Food; designation of ingredients. Regulation text; the page uses only the ordering rule.
4. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service: Labeling Organic Products. Organic rules cover how ingredients are produced and handled; they do not set nutrient amounts.
5. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 21 CFR 101.61, Nutrient content claims for the sodium content of foods. Regulation text; the page summarizes the main conditions only.
6. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Use of the “Healthy” Claim on Food Labeling. Describes a voluntary claim; foods without it are not judged by the page or the rule.
7. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service: FoodData Central. Averages from reference data, not any product label. SR Legacy was last updated in 2018; the no-salt peanut butter sodium is imputed, the low sodium bean sodium is back-calculated from a label, yogurt sugars are calculated, and most saturated fat values are calculated.
8. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 21 CFR 101.12, Reference amounts customarily consumed per eating occasion. Labeling rules, not intake advice; a package may list a different household serving.
9. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Food Allergies: What You Need to Know. Consumer overview; it does not cover every labeling exemption or advisory (“may contain”) statements.
10. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Food allergy. General encyclopedia entry; an allergy action plan comes from your own clinician.
11. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels. Label reference numbers based on a 2,000-calorie diet, not personal targets.
12. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: The Lows and Highs of Percent Daily Value on the Nutrition Facts Label. General label-reading guidance; %DV is based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
13. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label. Explains label lines; USDA reference records do not report added sugars, so the table shows total sugars.
14. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Use of the Term Natural on Food Labeling. Page last updated in 2018; it describes a policy, not a regulation.
15. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service: Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms. Applies to meat and poultry labels under USDA, not to other foods.
16. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service: BE Disclosure. A disclosure rule; it says nothing about nutrient content.
17. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Letter to the Food Industry on “No Artificial Colors” Labeling Claims (February 5, 2026). Enforcement discretion, not a new regulation; the regulatory definition of “artificial color” is unchanged.
18. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: FDA Takes New Approach to “No Artificial Colors” Claims (February 5, 2026). Press release; the claim wordings and conditions are set out in the FDA letter to industry.
19. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Color Additives Questions and Answers for Consumers. Dated December 2023, before the February 2026 “no artificial colors” letter.
20. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 21 CFR 101.60, Nutrient content claims for the calorie content of foods. Regulation text; the page summarizes the main conditions only.
21. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Ultra-Processed Foods. Dated September 2025. The source also discusses health outcomes; the page cites it only for the status of the definition.
22. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: press release on a proposed definition of ultra-processed foods (August 10, 2026). Press release. The source also discusses health outcomes; the page cites it only for the status of the definition.