Its your choice - Food labels and guideline daily amounts - a healthy eating guide for teenagers

WHAT ARE GUIDELINE DAILY AMOUNTS?

Want to make a few changes so you look better, feel better and have more energy?

Whatever your personal goals, a great first step is to know what’s in food and drink, so you can make some smart choices.

Most packaged foods and drinks in the UK provide nutrition information which sets out the amount of energy and certain key nutrients in the product. An increasing number of labels also include information on Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs) – the approximate amount of these nutrients that can be eaten for a healthy diet. This leaflet explains how to use this information to help you make some healthier choices and balance your diet – the easy way.

GUIDELINE DAILY AMOUNTS (GDAS)

GDAs are a guide to how much energy and the amount of certain key nutrients you should consume each day for a healthy diet. They are guidelines for anaverage person with a healthy weight and an average level of activity. Individual needs vary depending on your sex, weight, activity levels and if you are still growing. Watching your intake of energy and certain nutrients is a simple – and vital – step to a healthy lifestyle.

Guideline Daily Amounts
	Adults
Energy - kcal (Calories)	2000
Protein	45g
Carbohydrates	230g
of which sugars	90g
Fat	70g
of which saturates	20g
Fibre	24g
Sodium*	2.4g
*Equivalent as salt	6g

You won’t often find GDAs for teenagerson food labels. To find out more about GDAs for your age group please refer to the tables below.

Boys
	11 - 14 years	15 - 18 years
Energy - kcal (Calories)	2200	2750
Protein/td>	42g	55g
Carbohydrates	275g	345g
of which sugars	110g	140g
Fat	85g	105g
of which saturates	25g	35g
Fibre	20g	24g
Sodium*	2.4g	2.4g
*Equivalent as salt	6g	6g

Girls
	11 - 14 years	15 - 18 years
Energy - kcal (Calories)	1850	2100
Protein	41g	45g
Carbohydrates	230g	265g
of which sugars	90g	105g
Fat	70g	80g
of which saturates	25g	25g
Fibre	20g	24g
Sodium*	2.4g	2.4g
*Equivalent as salt	6g	6g

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WHY ARE THERE DIFFERENT GDAS FOR DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE?

There are different GDAs because males, females and different age groups have different energy and nutrient needs. As there is limited space on food labels,often just the GDAs for ‘adults’ are given, as in the example shown here - see left.These are actually the GDAs for adult women but they are a good average to work with and are close to the GDAs for teenagers.You won’t often find GDAs for teenagers on food labels. To find out more about GDAs for your age group – visit www.foodfitness.org.uk/GDA