Understanding how to read nutrition information on food packaging is essential in making healthy choices for your meals and snacks.
You should aim for foods that are :
- Lower in energy (kj/cal)
- Lower in saturated and trans fat
- Lower in sugar
- Lower in sodium
- High in dietary fibre
When reading a Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) aim for these targets:
Energy: 420kj/ 100cal per carbohydrate snack
Energy: 600-800kj/ 150-200cal for a Carbohydrate and Protein snack
Fat: Less than 10g/100g
Saturated fat: Less than 2g/100g
Carbohydrate Total (sugars included in this): 15g/serve
High Fibre: 5g/Serve
Sodium: 120mg/100g is low salt; Up to 400mg/100g is acceptable.
Ingredient list: The less ingredients the better. Ingredients are listed in order of most to least by weight.
