As a dietician, nutrition scientist, author and presenter, Joanna McMillan-Price knows her fats from her figures. She’s been helping people formulate healthy eating plans for 14 years.

Weighing up the information
Given so much of what we consume is processed, food labels provide a way of knowing what we’re actually eating and how much nutrition we’re gaining. The ingredient listing will give you the first indication of the product’s nutrition level. Once you’ve scanned this, the energy and saturated fat content are the next most important figures on the label, especially if you’re watching your weight. The lower these figures, the better.

The energy reading indicates the number of kilojoules in the product. Although energy intake depends on your size and activity level, as a general guide, women need around 8400 kilojoules a day while men require roughly 12,500 for weight maintenance.

The total fat figure is made up of saturated (bad), mono-unsaturated (better) and polyunsaturated (best) fats. Although you should avoid food with a high fat content, some – such as olive oil and nuts – are good for us, so include small amounts in your diet. 

Saturated fats are linked to heart disease and should be avoided. Culprits such as butter and palm oil boost saturated fat content, so seek alternatives.

Misleading messages
When it comes to labelling, a “fat-free” product has to have less than 1 gram of fat per 100 grams, while those that are 95 per cent fat-free are classified as “low fat”. Always read the fine print so that you’re not misled. In other words, demolishing a 400 gram pack of a 90 per cent fat-free snack that’s supposed to serve four, won’t help your hips!

Also, fat-free doesn’t mean kilojoule-free. For example, if you eat half a 100 gram pack of 99 per cent fat-free rice crackers, you’re taking in 899 kilojoules. If you put away a 25 gram packet of potato chips you’ll consume more fat but only 523 kilojoules.

How sweet it is
Sugar itself is not the enemy – it’s just a form of carbohydrate. But if you eat too much refined sugar, problems will arise. There is little point in reading the “grams of sugar” column on the label, as it doesn’t tell you if it is added or naturally present in the food. Milk, for example, has natural sugar (a good carbohydrate), not to mention other nutrients.

Added sugars (listed in the ingredients as glucose, syrups or sucrose) should be avoided as they add energy without other nutrients. Lollies may be fat-free, but they provide little other than carbohydrate in the form of refined sugars. Fruit, however, provides most of its energy in the form of natural sugar, which is slowly absorbed and accompanied by numerous other nutrients needed to maintain optimum health.