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

Total Fat

Less than 3g of total fat per 100g

Saturated fat Less than 1.5g of saturated fat per 100g
Sugar Less than 10g of sugar per 100g
Sodium Less than 120mg sodium per 100g, or look for 'no added salt' varieties
Fibre More than 3g fibre per serve.
Note: this is the only nutrient where it is more appropriate to compare amount per serve.

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.


Daily Intake Guide

You may have noticed new labels on foods in supermarkets and food outlets called Percent Daily Intake or %DI. This shows you the percentage of energy and nutrients in a serve of the product. It is present on the front of the food packaging and therefore it is easy to see, and can be a useful guide to choosing foods to best meeting your nutrient needs.

What is the Daily Intake Guide?
The Daily Intake Guide, or %DI, is a set of reference values for an acceptable intake of a set of nutrients including:
Energy; Fat; Protein; Saturated Fat; Carbohydrate; Sugars; Sodium & Dietary fibre.

%DI is based on the recommended amounts of energy and nutrients needed for an average adult diet to meet their nutritional needs. The percentages are calculated based on the below figures:

Nutrient

Reference Value used in %DI

Energy

8700 kJ

Protein

50 g

Fat

70 g

Saturated fatty acids

24 g

Carbohydrate

310 g

Sodium

2300 mg

Sugars

90 g

Dietary fibre

30 g

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

0 Comments