Understanding food labels
You’ve gone to the supermarket with all the best intentions, a full stomach and shopping list in hand.
So you pick something off the shelf and turn it over to check out how healthy it is. It feels as though you have just opened a page of a Japanese text book. A wave of apathy sweeps over you and you end up chucking anything and everything into your basket!
What it all means
Energy: look for the kcal (calories) figure. To keep a healthy weight, our input of calories needs to balance with the energy we use in daily life.
Protein: this is needed for growth and repair. Most adults get plenty of protein from what we eat, so this isn’t so important.
Carbohydrate: this is the total carbohydrate in food, split into starches and sugars. We should get most of our energy from starches.
Of which sugars: this is the amount of carbohydrate that is sugars, both found naturally and added extra.
Fat: the total amount of fat in foods. Polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated are the main types.
Of which saturates: this is the type of fat that we need to limit most of all. It increases cholesterol in the blood which in turn leads to increase risk of heart disease.
Fibre: this is important for a healthy digestive system.
Sodium: multiply by 2.5 to determine how much salt is in food.
How much is too much?
Use the table below as a guide. To judge if a food contains a lot or a little use the: ‘per 100g’ figure for a snack food or when comparing similar foods ‘per serving’ figure for a complete meal or comparing quite different foods
A Lot A Little
10.0g sugar 2.0g sugar
20.0g of fat 3.0g fat
5.0g saturated fat 1.0g saturated fat
3.0g of fibre 0.5g fibre
1.5g salt 0.3g of salt
Helpful hints
Labels can be very confusing and the print is so small, one glance is enough to put you off, but some of the healthiest foods don’t even have labels!
When thinking about meals, base them around starchy wholegrain foods (that’s foods like wholemeal bread and pasta), fruit and vegetables. That way you are more likely to be keeping to healthy eating guidelines.
When comparing food labels, think about how much of the food you will eat and how often. Some foods may contain a lot of sugar, fat and calories but you only eat a small amount or eat them occasionally. With food and drinks that are consumed regularly or in large quantities, it’s a good idea to look for brands lower in fat, sugar or salt. This will have a greater effect on your overall diet.
Don’t try to completely cut anything out. Moderation is the key!
Try and eat at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day. These can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried or juiced.
(More food fact sheets available from British Dietetic website: www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts)
Written by Hayley Platt.
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