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Decoding food labels

Decoding food labels

Reading food labels and interpreting all the information on-pack can be a daunting task. Here are some pointers to help you read and interpret the information on food labels.

  • 5g fat is equal to one teaspoon of fat (picture a teaspoon of butter). If a food says it has 30g fat per serve, that’s equivalent to eating about six about teaspoons of butter! That’s a lot of fat in one serve, so look for a lower fat version
  • Buy ‘low fat’ or ‘reduced fat’ dairy products like milk (eg NESTLÉ SLIM Milk), cheese, yogurt, custard and ice cream. Low fat yoghurt like NESTLÉ SLIM Dahi or low fat fruit yogurt is another good choice as it has a substantially reduced calorie content along with goodness of fruits.eg NESTLÉ REAL FRUIT Yoghurt
  • 5g sugar is equal to one teaspoon of sugar. If a can of soft drink has 40g sugar - that’s like eating eight teaspoons of sugar. Consider another type of drink or a diet soft drink if you are trying to watch your calorie intake
  • Foods with 3 g of dietary fibre means that they are a source of dietary fibre and that with 6 g per 100 g means that they are high in fibre
  • Don’t assume that all foods displaying the word ‘light’ are low in fat or kilojoules/calories. The term ‘Light’ or ‘Lite’ on a food label may also mean the food is light in fat, light in salt, light in colour, or even light in taste. The characteristic which makes the food ‘light’ must be stated on the label, so take a closer look to see what it really means before putting it in the trolley