Weight loss: How to read food labels

Most packaged foods sold in the UK have a food label indicating serving size and other nutritional information. The " nutrition information" panels on food labels are intended to give you information about the specific packaged food in question. Measurements of energy ( calories), fat (including saturated fat), fibre, sodium, carbohydrate (including sugars) and protein are calculated per 100g. However, reading other sections on these labels can be confusing. Below are some explanations of its components.

Portion or serving size. The size “per portion” or “per serving” varies from manufacturer, so comparing foods “per 100g” or “per 100ml” can be a more realistic way of comparing foods. A portion may or may not be the serving amount you normally eat. It is important that you pay attention to the serving size, including the number of servings in the package and compare it to how much you actually eat. The size of the serving on the food package influences all the nutrient amounts listed on the top part of the label. For example, if a package has four servings and you eat the entire package, you quadruple the calories, fat, etc. that you have eaten.

Guideline daily amounts. Some manufacturers voluntarily include this panel, which lists the daily amount of each nutrient in the food package. These daily values are the reference numbers that are based on current nutrition recommendations. Some labels list daily values for 2,000 calorie diets for women, 2,500 calorie diets for men and 1,800 calorie diets for children. These are not targets but are to be used as guidelines to help make dietary choices.

Traffic light labelling. Traffic light labelling uses colours to indicate the amount of fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt in the product, things that we should try to keep down in our diet. If the colour is green, the product will have low amounts of that nutrient. If the colour is red, the product will be high in something you should be cutting down on. Amber is medium.

Ingredients. Each product should list the ingredients on the label. They are listed from largest to smallest amount (by weight). This means a food contains the largest amount of the first ingredient and the smallest amount of the last ingredient.

Label claim. Another aspect of food labelling is label claims. Some food labels make claims such as "low fat." These claims can only be used if a food meets strict government definitions. “Low fat” can only be used if the product has 3g or less of fat per 100g. Such claims as “good for you” or “healthy” must be explained and based on scientific proof. Manufacturers are not allowed to say that the food will prevent, treat or cure any type of medical condition. Here are some other terms explained:

Light or lite - the product must be at least 30% lower in one value such as calories or fat than a standard product. Check the label - it must list exactly what has been reduced and the amount, ie “light - 30% less calories.” However, this doesn’t mean the product is lighter than one made by another manufacturer, and being low in fat doesn’t mean it is low in calories, so check and compare labels.