Healthy eating

People today are more aware of what they eat and food labels aim to help everyone make the right choices. But they can often make things even more complicated with different terms and symbols.

Alastair Duncan is a dietitian at the Trust. His job is to help patients understand more about the food they eat and how it can affect their health. He says: "It is important that we know what we are eating. This way we can make sure we eat enough of the things that are good for us and not too much of those that are not as good. One way to do this is by keeping an eye on the labels on the food that we buy."

Most food labels give the nutritional breakdown of the food and will show the amount of each of the following in 100g (grams) or 100ml (millilitres) of the food:

energy (in kJ and kcal)
protein (in g)
carbohydrate (in g)
fat (in g)

Labels often include other things, such as fibre and salt. Sometimes you will also see amounts per recommended serving, but this must be shown in addition to the 100g or 100ml breakdown.

Energy

What is it? This figure shows the amount of energy that the food will give you when you eat it. It is measured either in calories (kcal) or joules (kJ).

How much can I have? It is recommended that the average man has 2,500kcal a day, while the average woman has 2,000kcal. Eating too many calories will make you put on weight and not eating enough will make you lose weight.

Fat

What is it? Fat is an important part of our diet, but it is essential that we avoid having too much. Some food labels break their figures for fat down into saturates, monounsaturates and polyunsaturates - these are different types of fat. Saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol levels, which increases the chance of developing heart disease. Monounsaturates and polyunsaturates are both types of unsaturated fat. These don't raise blood cholesterol in the same way as saturated fats and provide us with the essential fatty acids that the body needs. Most people know that we should be cutting down on fat. But it's even more important to try to replace the saturated fat we eat with unsaturated fat.

How much can I have? A maximum of 95g per day, of which up to 20g can be saturated fat.

Fibre

What is it? Fibre (sometimes known as roughage) helps prevent constipation, piles and bowel problems. Good sources of fibre include some breakfast cereals, all types of beans, mixed unsalted nuts, wholemeal bread, and fruits and vegetables.

How much can I have? You should try to eat at least 20g of fibre each day.

Carbohydrates

What are they? There are two types of carbohydrates that the body turns into energy: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are often listed on food labels as 'Carbohydrates (of which sugars)'. This includes added sugars and the natural sugars found in foods such as fruit and milk. Complex carbohydrates are also called starchy foods and these include bread, cereals, rice, pasta, maize meal, yams, plantains and potatoes. Try to choose wholegrain varieties whenever you can. We should get most of our energy from complex carbohydrates rather than those containing sugar. Sometimes you will only see a total figure for carbohydrates on food labels. This includes the carbohydrates from starchy foods and from simple carbohydrates.

How much can I have? There is no recommended amount in grams of carbohydrate to have each day, however it is advisable to have some starchy foods at each meal.

Protein

What is it? The body needs protein to grow and repair itself. Most adults in the UK today get more than enough protein for their needs. Meat, poultry, fish, milk and dairy foods, eggs, beans, lentils and nuts are all rich in protein.

How much can I have? It is recommended that we eat 70g of protein a day. Not getting enough over a long period may lead to overall poor health, while eating too much may eventually cause liver and kidney damage.

Salt

What is it? Salt is often listed as sodium on food labels. The amount of salt (g) = sodium (g) x 2.5. Eating too much salt can raise blood pressure, and since three-quarters of the salt we eat comes from processed food - such as some breakfast cereals, soups, sauces, bread, biscuits and ready meals - it is a good idea to check food labels so you can compare products. Lots of people think they don't eat a lot of salt, especially if they don't add it to food. But don't be so sure - keep an eye on your intake of salt as it can be hidden in many processed foods.

How much can I have? Adults should have no more than about 2.5g of sodium a day, which is about 6g of salt. On average people actually have about 9.5g of salt a day.