The (Nutritional) Cost of Beautiful Design

I have a toddler and a husband that are obsessed with Uncrustables. They’re frozen, crustless, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that are convenient for families and busy people alike. We’d run out recently, so I was on my way to the freezer aisle to stock up. One of the boxes was flipped around displaying the nutritional information, “HuH I wonder how bad these are, can’t be toooo bad…right?”

I’d never actually looked at the nutritional information. I know, I know, shouldn’t I be more keyed into what my toddler is eating? Sure, but it’s a PB&J how bad could it be? I was a little shocked to see that a single serving (1 sandwich) was 210 calories and 28g of sugar (8g added). Now if you’re eating one and are living an active lifestyle that’s not awful, but my kid and husband were inhaling these like they were going out of business. We adjusted the Uncrustable lifestyle we were living and are now hopefully on a slightly healthier trajectory.

Here’s the thing, I don’t think I would have voluntarily looked at the nutritional information if someone else hadn’t left a box facing the wrong way in that freezer. Why? I’m busy, it’s a PB&J sandwich, it’s one of the few things my newly picky toddler will eat without complaint. I’m not going to question it too much. But it got me thinking: What if all our food packaging had nutritional information on the front AND the back of the box?

In January of 2025, the FDA submitted a proposal to require front of packaging nutrition labels on most foods. Here’s the proposal summary:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) proposes to require front-of-package nutrition labels on most foods that must bear a Nutrition Facts label. This action, if finalized, would require the display of a compact informational box containing certain nutrient information on the principal display panel. The box would provide consumers, including those who have lower nutrition knowledge, with standardized, interpretive nutrition information that can help them quickly and easily identify how foods can be part of a healthy diet. We also propose to amend certain nutrient content claim regulations to align with current nutrition science and avoid within-label inconsistencies.

Read the whole thing here

Basically, this new proposal is a step towards better informing consumers of what they are buying so that they can make better dietary decisions. But why?

In the brief, the FDA points to the rise in preventable diet-related chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer.

The FDA also argues that although 80% of U.S. consumers do look at the nutritional facts label, and nearly 80% factor in those facts sometimes or often, not enough people actually understand or use the information to limit less healthy nutrients (think sodium, saturated fat and added sugars). By adding a standardized, mandatory, nutrient claim on the principal face of packaging, the FDA hopes consumers will be able to make better diet choices. Here’s an example of what that could look like:

So how does this impact design?

Right now, if you walk down any aisle in any grocery store in the U.S., you will see all kinds of packaged food. All these products have one thing in common, they are trying to get you to stop, pick them up and take them home over their competitors.

The world of food packaging is fun and exciting, an exercise in human psychology and an exploration in what make us pick the foods that we do. Are you like me, often taking something home simply because the packaging was cute or beautiful or weird? Think about why you tried that new brand of sparkling water over the standard La Croix. Was it the design? Was it the promise of a healthy probiotic drink? Did you like the mascot on the front? Designers work very hard to create something that will call to you as a consumer in the hopes you buy it.

Now think about adding in that nutrient label to the front of all those products.

My first thought? No, there’s already so much we have to put on the front, this is going to mess up so many designs.

Will adding this nutrient label suck the joy out of packaging design?

According to the FDA, the nutrient label would need to live in the upper third of the principal display. Keep in mind, all the other information that has to go on the front is still in play. So that’s 1/3rd to the label, 30% of the bottom for Net Wt., 5% to each individual call out and claim that needs to go in front, any warnings or asterisks about added sugars, or nitrates…the list goes on and on. It feels like we’re quickly running out of real estate for beautiful design that catches the consumer’s eye.

So, if everyone has to do this, how will you stand out from the crowd?

The FDA doesn’t really prioritize beautiful design over the well-being of consumers. This is fair and valid, but I’m a designer, my whole career is based on convincing consumers they should buy my product over another.

Current trends in package design suggest it might not be that big of a deal. An emphasis on minimal design with simple messaging and subdued color palettes might lend itself nicely to the proposed label. On the other hand, maybe this is an opportunity for brands to invest in more robust and interesting ad and marketing campaigns that speak to a consumer’s needs and lifestyle vs a pretty product on a shelf.

But other countries have figured it out.

It’s true, other countries do have different systems in place for informing their consumers on what they’re eating and designers all over the world have managed to figure out how to still market those products.

Several European countries have been using something called a Nutri-Score. This Nutri-Score converts nutritional value into a simple code using five letters each with their own color. Here’s what that looks like:

This is required to go on all packaging and is a simple way for consumers to see a nutritional score without added information. This simplifies packaging while still telling you whether or not that protein bar is as good as it says it is. Simple, clean and regulated.

Final Thoughts

I think what the FDA is proposing is a step in the right direction. However, I think the nutrient label will only be as good as the regulations put on products. There are ways companies and manufacturers can take to skirt what regulation we already have. Already, in the FDA proposal, there are conditions that companies can meet to avoid having the labeling on there at all. That could be a whole other blog post, so we’ll leave that alone for now.

At the end of the day, I think people will buy what they want to buy. I still buy Uncrustables for my kid and husband, but they do eat them in moderation now. I think if this nutrient label is put into effect, it might help others, like me, adjust how we are consuming food and hopefully live a somewhat healthier life.