Nutritional content
Stick to foods low in % of fats, cholesterol and sodium.

How much fat per day? 30 grams per day.

Marketing
Don't be drawn into suggestive labelling check the contents.

Additives and sweeteners
Aspartame is a dangerous substitute for sugar.

Label translator What the labels really mean.

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As consumers we are constantly bombarded with healthy eating products and reduced fat foods and drinks. How often do you take the time to read the nutritional label and fully understand what it tells you?

Nutritional content: - It is law for all food labels to show Food’s nutritional content. It is common sense to purchase foods that are low in their "% Daily Value" of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Aim for your maximum daily requirement of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals.

How much fat do you need? A mature adult requires a minimum of 30 grams per day, 4 grams of that should be essential fats, which are found in nuts and polyunsaturated oils.

Beware of marketing Don't be drawn in by clever marketing techniques. Just because the picture on the front of the product is of a healthy individual holding a measuring tape around a slim waist, it doesn't mean that it's going to be of benefit to your health or waistline.

Beware of additives and sweeteners There may be a number of additional additives in the product that are not so healthy. The addition of aspartame, a sweetener, in low-cal soft drinks is a dangerous substitute. Tests conducted on this substance have revealed that there is potential harm to the brain of people who aren't able to metabolise Phenylalanine, one of the two amino acids in aspartame.