I’ve got to admit you can get a little obsessive with these labels. I’ve been known to be standing in a supermarket aisle for way too long comparing the labels of similar products.
How about you?
Let’s make it easy...
1. Note that the energy is in kJ (kilojoules). If you want to know how many Calories that is, divide the kJ by 4.2.
2. INGREDIENTS: This outlines what the item is made out of. The order of ingredients is based on the quantity in the product, from the largest quantity ingredient to the smallest. NB The largest quantity ingredient in this product is sugar, followed by full cream milk powder. Also, be wary of ingredients that you can’t pronounce or don’t know what they are.
3. PROTEIN: You need 1g of protein for every kg of body weight. More (up to 1.5-2g per kg) if you are a bodybuilder or want to bulk up a little. NB This single item provides 3.2g.
4. CARBOHYDRATES: Generally divided into carbohydrates and sugars. You want to aim to reduce the “sugar” content of the equation, ideally to below 10g per 100g (see the right hand column).
5. FATS: Not all fats are bad. But you need to watch the saturated fats (generally termed the bad fats). Ideally you want fats to also be below 10g per 100g. A normal product should have about 4-5g per 100g while low fat products are deemed to have 2-3g per 100g. NB This item has 26.9g of fat with 17.4 g of it being saturated fat!
6. SODIUM: Your body needs about 2,300mg of sodium a day to function correctly. That’s about 1 teaspoon. So try to keep the sodium content to between 250mg-300mg per 100g. NB This item only has 100mg per 100g.
Ok, so would you buy this item based on its “nutrition label”?
Maybe as a treat once in a while?
What do you think this item is?
Enjoy your healthy food selection,
Steve
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