This page contains an example of a label showing both nutrition and GDA information. Use the links below to look up a brief explanation of the individual terms used in the label.
Individual Chicken and Vegetable Bake
| NUTRITION INFORMATION |
GUIDELINE DAILY AMOUNTS |
| Typical values |
per 100g |
per 350g serving |
Woman |
Men |
| Energy - kJ |
480kJ |
1680kJ |
|
|
| - kcal |
115 kcal |
405 kcal |
2000 |
2500 |
| Protein |
9.5g |
33.3g |
45g |
55g |
| Carbohydrate |
8.6g |
30.1g |
230g |
300g |
| of which sugars |
3.5g |
12.3g |
90g |
120g |
| Fat |
4.6g |
16.1g |
70g |
95g |
| of which saturates |
2.0g |
7.0g |
20g |
30g |
| Fibre |
1.5g |
5.3g |
24g |
24g |
| Sodium* |
0.3g |
1.1g |
2.4g |
2.4g |
| *Equivalent as salt |
0.8g |
2.8g |
6g |
6g |
Typical values
Under current European legislation, the amounts or 'typical values'
of each nutrient must be stated 'per 100g' of product. For
example, this product contains 4.6 g of fat per 100g. This makes
it easy to compare the amount of fat in this product with the
amount in another product.
In addition, amounts can also be given per serving, as quantified
on the label, or per portion, provided that the number of portions
in the pack is shown. The individual Chicken and Vegetable Bake
weighs 350g and provides 405 calories (kcal).
This information helps you track what you are eating compared
to the GDA. For example, this product contains 16.1g of fat.
Compare this amount of fat with the GDA for fat – up to 70g for
women.
Typical values are averages rather than exact amounts – products
may vary slightly, according to different seasons, variety and
other factors.
Energy
Most people are familiar with calories (strictly, kilocalories or kcal) as
the unit of energy and GDAs are based on calories. Food energy can also be measured in kilojoules (kJ). 1 kilocalorie = 4.2 kilojoules.
As the GDA panel shows, a healthy woman should aim for around 2000 calories a day to maintain a healthy weight while a man needs around 2500 calories a day. People wanting to lose weight will typically need to eat about 500 calories less than the GDA.
Protein
Protein is essential for growth and repair of the body. Most adults and children in the UK who eat a balanced diet get more protein than they need. Vegetarians should eat a mixture of foods everyday that contain protein such as beans, nuts, soya products, cereals, eggs, milk and dairy products, according to their individual preferences.
Carbohydrate
Starches, along with sugars, are known as carbohydrates and provide fuel for the body. We should base our meals around starchy foods such as bread, potato, cereal, rice and pasta, and include wholegrain types when possible. The label shows how much carbohydrate there is in the product and - on the line below - how much of that carbohydrate is from sugars. This amount includes naturally occurring sugars, such as those found in fruit juice and milk, plus any sugars that have been added during manufacture.
Fat
The label shows the total amount of fat contained in the product and below this, the amount of saturated fat. Fat has more than twice as many calories, by weight, as carbohydrate and protein – eating too much of it can easily lead to weight gain. We all need some fat in the diet to maintain health but we should aim to cut down on saturated fat. A high proportion of saturated fat in the diet can raise blood cholesterol, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease.
Women eating around 2000 calories a day can include up to 70g
of fat, with no more than 20g of this being saturated fat. Men eating around 2500 calories a day can eat up to 95g of fat, with no more than 30g of this as saturated fat.
Fibre
Fibre helps maintain a healthy digestive system; and is believed to help control appetite and reduce blood cholesterol. Most people need to include more fibre in their diet. Fibre is only found in plant foods and some examples include oats, wholegrain bread and cereals, bran, beans, seeds, fruit and vegetables.
Sodium
Salt is made up of sodium and chloride. When nutrition information is provided, the law requires that sodium rather than salt must be stated on the label. To work out the equivalent amount of salt, multiply the sodium value by 2.5 (eg 1.2g sodium is equivalent to 3.0g salt).Some packs also provide a 'salt equivalent' figure based on this calculation. The Chicken and Vegetable Bake contains 1.1g sodium, which is equivalent to 2.8 grams of salt. This is just under half of the daily GDA for salt.
Although sodium is an essential mineral required by the body, high intakes of sodium have been linked to hypertension (high blood pressure). Government advice is that consumers should reduce their sodium intake as a precaution and have set a target average salt intake of 6g a day for adults. Maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle are important for keeping blood pressure in check.
For more information, go to our Salt and Your Health leaflet which you can view online.
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