Know your food labels

Use this quick guide to nutrition labels to check out fat and calories, and cut through marketing hype.

• "Energy" is the amount of energy in calories (kcal) or joules (kJ) you will get from this food (there are roughly 4 kJ in a kcal).
• The daily calorie needs and recommended fat limits for the "average" man with "average" activity levels are 2,500 calories, and 95 g fat, of which no more than 30 g should be saturates. Compare the calorie and fat content of a product (per average serving) with these guidelines to see how the food fits into your overall diet.
• When you see claims like "low fat" or "90% fat free" always check the calorie and fat content. Some low fat foods have extra sugar added to boost flavour, making the calorie savings small. A claim like "90% fat free" sounds great, but a piece of battered cod is 90% fat free (a 100 g portion gives 10 g fat). A true "low fat" food should be 97% fat free.