Understanding Nutrition Labels

                                       

Your doctor tells you to cut down on saturated fats, but what does that actually mean?

The above picture of a food label is a typical example of the nutritional information you will find on most food products. I will explain what it means.

The energy reading gives the amount of calories in the product per 100g. In this example if you take 100g of the product it contains 235 calories which is about 10% of your recommended total daily calorie intake (2,000 calories)

How do I know if a food is high in fat, saturated fat, sugar or salt?

There are guidelines to tell you if a food is high in fat, saturated fat, salt or sugar, or not.
These are:
Total fat
High: more than 17.5g of fat per 100g
Low: 3g of fat or less per 100g

Our example is low in fat at 1.5g per 100g
Total recommended daily intake = 70g

Saturated fat
High: more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g 
Low: 1.5g of saturated fat or less per 100g

Our example is low in saturated fats at 0.3g per 100g
Total recommended daily intake = 16g

Sugars
High: more than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g 
Low: 5g of total sugars or less per 100g

Our example is low in sugar at 3.8g per 100g.
Total recommended daily intake = 50g  (approx. 12 spoonfuls)

Salt
High: more than 1.5g of salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium) 
Low: 0.3g of salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium)

our example has a moderate amount of salt at 1g per 100g.

Taking more than 6g of salt a day can cause high blood pressure.

If you would like any more information on food nutrition labels are nutrition in general call into the pharmacy and we can go through it in more detail.

Example Meal Analysis

Breakfast

Bowl of cornflakes (60g)

Calories              226

Saturated fats      0.2g

Added sugar        4.8g

Salt                      0.76g

 

Milk

Calories              90 

Saturated fats     3.22

Added sugar       6.72

Salt                     0.15g

 

Lunch

White Bread (4 slices)

 

Calories              344      

Saturated fats     0.48g

Added sugar       3.36

Salt                     1.76g

 

Ham (4 slices)

Calories               140 

Saturated fats       1.2g

Added sugar         1g

Salt                       2.7g

 

Lettuce   (1 cup/40g)

Calories               6 

Saturated fats      trace

sugar                   not counted

Salt                      trace

 

Tomato (2 small)

Calories             28

Saturated fats    trace

Added sugar      not counted

Salt                    0.2g

 

Full fat yogurt

Calories              121

Saturated fats      2.2g

Added sugar        17g

Salt                      0.19g

 

 

Snack

Bar of chocolate (snickers)

Calories             255

Saturated fats     4.8g

Added sugar       23g

Salt                     0.23g

 

Apple

Calories              71

Saturated fats      0.1g

Added sugar       not counted

Salt                      trace

 

Dinner

Rib eye steak (fried then trimmed of fat)

Calories             378

Saturated fats     7.6g

Added sugar       0g

Salt                      0.6g

 

Potatoes (150g serving)

Calories                114         

Saturated fats        0.2g

Added sugar          2g

Salt                        0.1g

 

Carrots

Calories                  42

Saturated fats          0.1g

Added sugar            not counted

Salt                          0.1g

 

Broccoli

Calories                    30

Saturated fats           0.2g

Added sugar             not counted

Salt                           trace

 

Total Calories            1845       recommended 2,000

Total saturated fats    20.3g      recommended  16g

Total sugar                 57.88g    recommended  50g

Salt                             6.69g      recommended 6g

 

When you add one apple and cream turnover

Total calories               2100     recommended 2,000

Total saturated fats      28g       recommended 16g

Total sugar                  70.78g   recommended 50g

Total salt                     7.09g     recommended 6g