The document discusses how to read and understand food labels in order to make healthier choices. It explains that food labels list ingredients in order of weight, with main ingredients first. The nutritional analysis panel provides information on calories, fat, sugar, and salt per portion and per 100g. Traffic light labels on many foods now make it easier to identify levels of fat, saturated fat, sugar, salt, and calories at a glance with red, amber, and green colors. Reading labels allows consumers to make informed choices about portion size and pick options lower in calories and fat.

1. Reading the label

2. It's easy to miss the nutritional
information displayed on most food
packets sold in the UK. But if you pay
attention to these labels, they're the key
to a healthier diet.

3. Take a look at any food
label, and you'll see a list
of ingredients. The
ingredients list is given in
order of weight, so the
main ingredients in the
packaged food always
come first. That means
that if the first few
ingredients are high-fat
ingredients, such as
cream, butter or oil,
then the food in question
is high-fat food.

4. All food labels also
contain a nutritional
analysis panel. This will tell
you how many calories
there are in a single portion
and also how many calories
are contained in 100 grams.
If you're trying to lose
weight, then it's especially
useful to know how many
calories are contained in
one portion of the food
you're looking at. But be
aware that the
manufacturer's concept of a
portion may be different
from yours.

5. The nutritional analysis panel will
also tell you the amount of fat,
sugar and salt per 100 grams
Low fat = less than three grams
of fat per 100 grams.
High fat = more than 20 grams of
fat per 100 grams.
Low sugar = less than five grams
of sugar per 100 grams.
High sugar = more than 15
grams of sugar per 100 grams.
Thanks to the introduction of
traffic light labels on the front of
many food packets, you can find
an even easier guide to fat,
sugar and salt content

6. For most people trying to lose
weight, a 450-calorie lunch and
550-calorie dinner is suitable. If
you're buying ready meals, check
the food labels to see how your
choices match up. 'Healthier
option' ranges are usually lower in
calories and fat than standard
ranges.
But remember that even
'healthier' ready meals will
probably be higher in fat and
calories than the home-made
equivalent. If you make the meal
yourself, you could save money
too.
If you're looking for a snack, aim
for something that contains fewer
than 120 calories per portion.
Most chocolate bars contain
between 250 and 450 calories.
An apple, on the other hand, is
sweet, filling and typically
contains just 50 calories

7. most of the big supermarkets
and many food manufacturers
are using a new front-of-pack
food labelling system that uses
traffic light colours. This gives an
at-a-glance guide to the five key
factors:
Fat content
Saturated fat content
Sugar content
Salt content
Calories
Red means high, amber means
medium and green means low.
And, because it’s on the front of
food packets, you can see it
immediately.

8. As well as using the traffic light colours, the labels tell you how many
grams of total fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt there are in a serving.
And if you do want more detailed nutritional information, the nutrition
panels are still there on the backs of packets.
if you buy a food that has all
or mostly green lights, you
know straight away that it's
a healthier choice.
An amber light means
neither high nor low, so you
can eat foods with all or
mostly amber lights most of
the time
A red light means the food
is high in fat, salt, or sugar
and something you should
only eat now and again

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