As a general guide, you should look for foods that contain the following:

How to compare nutrient content

To compare nutrient content in products, you should look at the 'per 100g column' in the nutrition information panel, on the food package.
Serve size is not as useful. This is because the manufacturer determines the serve size and this may not be the same as your serve size, and can vary across products.

For adults only

As these figures are based on an average adult diet, you may need more or less than the above figures and this will vary based on your age, height, weight, sex and how much activity or exercise you do.

How do I use the Daily Intake Guide

You can use %DI labels to find out what is in a serve and the percentage that the serve will contribute to your daily intake. You can also use the %DI to compare similar products so that you can choose the product that more closely matches the nutrients that you need. For example, if you were trying to lose weight, you would choose the product with the lowest percent for energy, highest fibre and lowest saturated fat.

What is Low GI?

Glycemic Index (GI) is a ranking given to foods to describe how quickly the carbohydrate they contain is digested and absorbed and raises blood sugar levels.
Carbohydrates are an important energy source for the body and carbohydrate containing foods are an important part of a healthy diet.

Foods that are quickly digested and absorbed have a high GI whilst those that are slowly digested and absorbed have a low GI. Foods with a high GI lead to glucose being absorbed into the blood quickly while those with a low GI have the opposite effect.

Recent studies also show that eating low GI foods may help to prevent some diseases.

Some foods contain the Glycemic Index symbol. Glycemic Index Ltd runs the GI Symbol program. It is a non profit organisation formed by the University of Sydney, Diabetes Australia and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. For more information on the GI Symbol Program go to: http://www.gisymbol.com.au 

Resources and further reading in Australia:

Food Standards Australia New Zealand – www.foodstandards.gov.au

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is an independent statutory agency established by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991. The website has an Interactive Label Poster to explain the NIP and product packaging, as well as poster version and a recorded explanation from Lydia Buchtmann, Communications Manager from Food Standards Australia and New Zealand. 
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/Food%20Labels%20Posterfinal%20.pdf

Food for Kids is produced by Choice, Australia's leading consumer organization. Choice uses a smiling face rating system to help parents make informed choices about food for their family. www.choicefoodforkids.com.au

Dietitians Association of Australia: Food Labeling Page - www.daa.asn.au

The Heart Foundation: Reading Food Labels - www.heartfoundation.org.au

Healthy Weight Week website - Understanding Information on Food Packaging - www.healthyweightweek.com.au

Healthy Kids School Canteen Association, South Australia - www.healthy-kids.com.au

Avoiding fats, sugars or salt requires careful checking.

The ingredient list on any given product is obliged to specify the contents of that product. However, if you are trying to avoid fat, sugar or salt, you should be aware of the fact that they may be added in many other forms that are a little harder to identify. These ingredients can be scattered all over the ingredients list.

Below is a list of alternative names for ingredients that contain fat, sugar and salt: