Food label
Guiding
you beyond the GDA/RDA
This probably isn't the first time you've
heard about the food label.
Throughout this site, particularly in the food group
page I have talked about "reading the food label". But labels can differ
and can get confusing...
...So use the jargon buster below.
Because of the images and the jargon
buster, this page is quite long so keep an eye out for the bold
headers if you are looking for something specific.
You'll find information on this page
in the following order:
- Various types of labels and their uses
- The Jargon Buster of food label terms
- How to understand the calories in food when outdoors
- GDAs for Men, Women and Children
- A link to GDAs (EU Values) for Vitamins and Minerals
Why bother reading labels?
It will give you an insight into how
healthy/unhealthy the food or drink is. It'll also help you manage,
your balanced diet. The fat section is a good example, especially if you
want to lose weight. Sodium is
equally as important as it refers to the salt content.
So what do they look like?
1) The
Typical Food Label
At the back of the pack you'll usually see
something like this.
| Average Values |
Per 100g |
Per Serving |
| Energy |
1563kJ
365Kcal |
37kJ
91Kcal |
| Protein |
7.1g |
1.9g | |
Carbohydrate
Of Which Sugars
Of Which Starch |
62.9g
8.8g
54.1g |
20.6g
2.1g
18.5g |
Fat
Of Which Saturates
Of Which Mono-Unsaturates
Of
Which Poly-Unsaturates
Of Which Trans |
20.8g
12.4g
3.6g
5.0g
trace |
5.2g
3.1g
0.9g
1.3g
trace |
| Fibre |
3.7g |
0.9g |
| Sodium |
1.1g |
0.3g |
- You won't always see the of which starch
info. This is because it is the the difference between the carbohydrate
row and the of which sugars row.
- This is usually the most comprehensive type of
food label, with more information than visual forms
- Aside from oil and butter, you'll rarely see the
following: of which Mono/Poly-unsaturates or even the of which
Trans rows. If there is more fat than saturates, the difference
will usually be mono/poly fatty acids. That is a good thing.
Learn more about Mono/Poly/Trans Fatty
Acids here.
2) The Annoyingly Cramped
Version
Find this label often? You may need the Jargon Buster!
Annoyingly, small products tend to have these
labels so you reaally need to know what you're looking for if you're
going to bother reading this type of food label.
Nutrition: Typical Composition. 100g
contains: Energy 391kJ/94Kcal, Protein 4.7g, Carbohydrate 18.0g
(Of which sugars) 13.3g, Fat trace, Fibre 2.4g, Sodium, 0.1g
Want to find real food labels for food on
the net? Use the Calories in Food gadget on the Free
Calorie Counter page here.
3) Variable Traffic Light
Labels
Usually, at the front of the pack, this is just one of the
common types.
The traffic light food label tends to vary in
shape from product to product. They refer to the serving size only so
you can quickly judge whether a small portion will be okay to eat.
Example: Pizza can be unhealthy
per 100g but eating half the pizza won't be as unhealthy since it is a
smaller portion.
Sometimes they will have percentages.
They usually refer to the womens GDA of 2000 calories. Since most of the
percentages are ugly numbers try rounding them till they're nicer.
Keep reading here for more detail on
the GDA/RDA values for men and women.
4) Other Visual Food
Labels
Labels on the front may be like this or a traffic light
label.
Food Label Courtesy
of The European Food Information Council (EUFIC) at www.eufic.org
The Jargon Buster
Average Values/Typical Composition:
- The per 100g section is important when you
compare similar foods. For example, if you look at cream cheese,
different brands have differnt fat content. You'd need to look at the
'per 100g' section to compare the fat.
- The per serving section is only
important if you will simply eat/drink a portion. For example, whilst
most butter
is high in fat, particularly saturated, you're not exactly going to eat
100g of fat with your toast! Unless of course
you eat an entire loaf of bread!
- GDA/RDA - (Guideline Daily
Amounts/Recommended Daily Allowances)
Most average guidlines are based on the womens GDA but some will have
the mens GDA on the pack as well.
Energy and Nutrition:
Energy:
Nutrition:
For more info and the GI Database (where you'll find
the GI/GL of many foods and drink) click here.
- Of which sugars -
Refers to the 'simple' sugar content. Generally, more than 10g is high.
Less thatn 2g is low.
The exceptions to high/low amounts are foods with natural sugars. Like,
fruit, veg, beans and pulses.
Learn more about simple
carbohydrate here.
- Fat - Whilst there are 4 fatty acids,
generally you'll only see one, the of which saturates row.
More than 20g is a lot. Less than 3g is low.
Need more info on fatty acids? Find
it here.
- Fiber - Important fo
a healthy bowel and better blood sugar control.
Learn more on the
fiber page.
- Sodium - Refers to
the salt content. More than 0.5g is a lot. Less than 0.1g is little.
Sodium is an essential
mineral for water balance.
Find out the
best way to drink water and and why drinking water is so important,
here.
- Trace - When there is
less than 0.05g of anything it is listed as trace.
How can I read the food label if
I eat out?
You probably can't, so you'll need to
become more familiar with what you eat.
How do I do that?
Now, that you're familiar with the food
groups, it should be very easy to understand the typical calories found
in each food group.
Understanding this is key if you want
counting calories to become second nature.
So where can I
learn about the typical calories in each food group?
I have created a 15 page ebook on the typical
calories in food in a more user friendly PDF format. You can get your hands on a copy on the Calories
in Food page here.
GDAs for Men,
Women and Children
Below are the GDA's for Men, Women and Children
based on a caloric intake of 2500, 2000 and 1800 Kcal respectively.
Please note that only
the one on the left is courtesy of The European Food Information Council
(EUFIC) at www.eufic.org.
Since Men and
childrens GDA values are hard to find I have created a table based on
food labels used in the UK. These may vary slightly to other countries
GDA values.
|
Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?