Understanding Nutrition Panels
The panels, a requirement of Food Standards Australia and New Zealand, explain what proportions of nutrients and macronutrients are contained in certain foods. But without an understanding of what the healthy levels of those nutrients actually are, the measurements can mean little. Armed with the right knowledge, however, the panels can be vital tools in helping you make the healthiest choices for you and your family.
Aloysa Hourigan, a senior nutritionist at Nutrition Australia, says that just how much you rely on the nutrition panel to select your foods depends on a number of issues. "If you have a specific health issue it becomes more vital to check," says Hourigan. "Or if you have a problem with your weight then knowing if you are getting enough or too many kilojoules can also be important."
The main benefit of the panels is to compare the nutrient content of different varieties of similar foods.
Understanding the panel
Serving Size: 30g Servings per pack: 12
| Per Serve | Per 100g | 30g with cup milk | |
| Energy | |||
| (Kj) | 444 | 1480 | 790 |
| (Cal) | 106 | 354 | 189 |
| Protein (g) | 3.7 | 12.4 | 7.9 |
| Fat | |||
| - total | 0.4 | 1.4 | 5.2 |
| - saturated (g) | 0.1 | 0.03 | 3.2 |
| Carbohydrate | |||
| - total (g) | 20.0 | 66.5 | 25.8 |
| - sugars (g) | 0.9 | 2.9 | 6.8 |
*This is part of the nutrition panel on the Weet-Bix Kids cereal box.
Energy
This figure is important because it tells you how the food is going to affect your energy balance. Hourigan explains that the energy figure is made up of three macronutrients; fat, protein and carbohydrate. The recommended daily energy intake varies with age, gender, growth and activity, but 8400kj to 10,500kj per day is the average guide for a healthy diet. For a whole meal, whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, total energy should ideally be between 1200kj and 2400kj. Snack foods should total no more than about 300kj to 500kj per serve.
Protein
Protein is essential for growth and repair of the body's cells. The amount you need varies with age and health circumstances, but nutritionists don't usually specify a recommended level per 100g of food because excess amounts are not usually harmful to your health. However, people with specific health concerns such as liver or kidney disease certainly may need to avoid a diet high in protein so talk to your doctor about a safe level for you.
Fat
The healthy recommendation is that you should limit the intake of foods that have more than 10g of fat per 100g of food. Hourigan explains that adults should keep their total fat intake to no more than 30 percent of total energy intake. That equates to about 70g for women and 90g for men. The following guide can help you achieve that.
• 10g to 15g per serve for a main meal;
• 5g per serve for a breakfast food;
• Less than 5g per serve for a snack food.
Hourigan adds only 30 percent of a person's daily total energy should come from fat, and that only eight percent of that should be from saturated fats. When looking at the nutrition panels, therefore, it is ideal to choose foods where the saturated fat figure is no more than one-third of the total figure. For example, if the total fat count is 10g per serve, the saturated fat count should be no more than 3g.
Many foods such as cheese, avocado, olive oil and nuts do have higher levels of fat but they are important to a healthy diet, so moderation is the key when eating these items.
"We need to feel free to eat these nourishing foods, but by being aware that they are higher in fats and therefore 'energy dense' we need to make sure we eat them in an appropriate amount," says Hourigan.
Sugars (listed under carbohydrate)
The carbohydrate figure takes in starches and sugar, but it is the sugar content that is most important here. If you have hypertension or high blood pressure, however, it may also be important to limit starches so talk to your doctor about recommended levels of both. Total carbohydrate content can be important for people with diabetes.
The advice for children and adults is to choose foods with less than 15g of sugar per 100g of food. If the product contains fruit then a sugar content of 15g or 15 percent is considered acceptable. If it doesn't contain fruit the healthier choice would be a sugar content closer to 10g per 100g of food.
"The fruit adds to the energy but it is not added sugar, so when a food comes with the fruit it is actually coming along with other vitamins and minerals," explains Hourigan. "When it is added sugar, all it gives your body is kilojoules and no extra vitamins or minerals."
Sodium
The healthy advice for sodium content is that it should not exceed 120mg per 100g of food. About 2300mg of sodium per day is considered an appropriate intake for adults. Therefore, those foods high in sodium should only be consumed in moderation, says Hourigan. Naturally this figure may need to be less if you suffer conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure), liver or kidney disease, so check with your doctor.
Be aware of those foods that are extremely high in sodium. Tomato sauce, for example, can contain as much as 1200mg of sodium in just one tablespoon. Hourigan says that doesn't mean you should never eat tomato sauce, but you should perhaps limit your intake to just small amounts.
Resources
For more information about a healthy diet or the dietary labelling on products, visit the following websites:
• Food Standards Australia and New Zealand is the regulatory body for food standards.
• Nutrition Australia is a non-government, non-profit organisation that aims to provide scientifically-based nutrition information to Australians.
• The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating is a national food guide that suits the multicultural nature of the population.
Article written by Pamela Wilson, March 2006
