UNDERSTANDING THE LABEL

Thin Crust Margherita Pizza

GUIDELINE
DAILY
AMOUNTS

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Typical values

per 100g

per 170g
serving
(½ pizza)

Energy

900kJ

1530kJ

- kcal (Calories)

214kcal

364kcal

2000

Protein

12.0g

20.4g

45g

Carbohydrates

26.8g

45.6g

230g

of which sugars

2.0g

3.3g

90g

Fat

6.5g

11.1g

70g

of which saturates

2.5g

4.3g

20g

Fibre

2.7g

4.6g

24g

Sodium*

0.2g

0.3g

2.4g

*Equivalent as salt

0.5g

0.8g

6g

ENERGY:

GDAs for energy are expressed as kilojoules (kJ) or Calories (kcal) – the values used to describe the energy content of food. Balancing the energy you consume with the energy you burn in metabolism, activities and exercise will help control your weight.

Different people have different energy needs depending on their sex, age and activity levels.

See What are Guideline Daily Amounts?

(A 16 year old male needs around 11550 kJ (2750kcal) a day; a 13 year old girl needs around 7770 kJ (1850kcal) a day).

CARBOHYDRATE:

Starches, along with sugars, are known as carbohydrates (carbs) and provide fuel for the body. The nutrition label shows how much carbohydrate there is in the product and 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 added when the foods are being made.

WHICH CARBS SHOULD I EAT MOST OF?
Foods such as bread, breakfast cereals, potatoes, rice and pasta – especially whole grain or wholemeal varieties. Eat some at every meal.

FAT AND SATURATED FAT:

The label shows the total amount of fat in the product and below this, the amount of saturated fat (saturates). Fat provides more than twice as many kilojoules as carbohydrate and protein so eating too much of it can easily lead to weight gain. Everyone needs some fat in the diet to keep healthy but you should keep a check on saturated fat as too much of this type can raise blood cholesterol which increases the risk of heart disease. Even if you are a healthy weight, try not to go above the GDA for fat and saturated fat.

As a rough guide, saturates are solid at room temperature and come mostly from animal sources, for example, fatty meat and butter. Most unsaturates are soft or liquid at room temperature and are usually vegetable fats.

WHAT ARE SOME GOOD SOURCES OF UNSATURATED FATS?
Oily fish, nuts and seeds, avocado, sunflower, rapeseed and olive oil and margarines and spreads made from these oils.

SODIUM:

Salt is made up of sodium and chloride. Sodium is an essential mineral but high intakes of sodium have been linked to high blood pressure and heart disease. Many of us are eating around 9g of salt a day, well over the GDA of 6g. Eating a healthy diet and being active are really important for keeping blood pressure in check.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SODIUM AND SALT?
Many labels give figures for both sodium and salt. To work out the ‘equivalent’ amount of salt, multiply the sodium value by 2.5. The GDA of 2.4g sodium is therefore equivalent to 6.0g salt (2.4 x 2.5 = 6.0).

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Nutrition information on labels is provided ‘per 100g’ (or ‘per 100ml’ for liquids) and usually per serving too. Looking at the nutrients ‘per 100g’ helps you compare the levels of nutrients in different products. For example, the amount of fat in this product (6.5g per 100g) with the amount of fat per 100g in another product.

Using the information ‘per serving’ helps you track the different nutrients you are eating compared with their GDA. For example, one serving of this pizza contains 4.3g of saturated fat (saturates) while the GDA is 20g. This means that one serving of pizza provides about 1/5th or 20% of the GDA for saturated fat – a pretty good choice for a meal based on the level of fat.

As well as the main nutrients listed above, we also need a variety of vitamins and minerals every day. You will also see information about these on some food labels.

For printed copies of "It's Your Choice" booklet, go to Resources