Most of us are familiar with the presence of nutrition labels on the packaging of the food we buy, but how many of us actually use them? Many of us ignore the data provided because we’re simply not sure how to use it – even though these labels include valuable information about the food we consume.¹
Food labels aren’t just for those of us with specific nutritional goals like reducing salt consumption or choosing healthier fats. They’re a great resource for anyone looking to make more informed choices about the food you consume.¹
Knowing how to read these labels can make it so much easier to shop for healthy food and drink without having to spend all day agonising over your choices. Keep reading to learn more.
What is the nutrition label?
A nutrition label is the panel of information found on the packaging of food products which describes the nutritional content of the product. This is usually compared to the recommended intake for an average adult (RI) so you can see how much of your daily intake the product provides.
In the UK, there are two slightly different types of nutritional labels found on most food packaging: one on the front and one on the back.²
The nutritional label found on the front of the packaging typically includes a traffic light system, which is used to give you a snapshot of the nutritional content of a single serving. This includes nutrients such as fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt and rates them as high (red), medium (orange) and low (green) for each nutrient.²
On the back of the packaging, you can usually also find a table of nutritional information. This includes nutrients such as energy, fat, saturates, carbohydrates, sugars, protein and salt. These are usually listed per 100g or per 100ml in liquids, and may also include the per-portion figures as well.²
In some cases, other nutrients may be listed as well. For example, fortified foods will often include nutritional information detailing how much of each vitamin and mineral the product contains, such as vitamin D, calcium, and iron.³
How to read nutrition labels in the UK
When reading nutrition labels, it’s important to consider what you’re trying to understand about the food. In general, there are two main ways to assess nutritional value: evaluating a single portion of a product on its own, or comparing it with similar items.¹
Assessing the nutritional value of a serving
The front-of-pack traffic light system is particularly useful when you want a quick overview of a product as a standalone item. It allows you to see at a glance whether a food is high, medium, or low in certain nutrients based on a suggested serving size.²
For example, if a product shows mostly green and amber indicators, it may be considered a more balanced option than one with several red indicators. However, it’s important to remember that the portion size listed on the label may not match how much you actually eat in one sitting.
Always check the small print to see what is defined as one serving. If you consume more than the suggested portion, your actual intake of calories, salt, fat, or sugar may be higher than the figures displayed.²
Comparing two similar products
When choosing between similar products, the per 100g information on the back of the packaging is the most reliable way to compare them. This is because it standardises the values, allowing you to compare like for like regardless of suggested serving sizes.²
For example, two different breakfast cereals may appear similar on the front-of-pack label, but the per 100g values might reveal that one contains significantly less sugar than the other when serving sizes are equal.
Using this method helps to avoid being misled by differing portion sizes or marketing claims. It gives you a clearer and more objective way to assess which product better fits your nutritional preferences.
How to calculate nutrition facts for homemade food
When preparing homemade meals, you won’t have a nutrition label to rely on, but you can still estimate the nutritional content using a simple method.¹
Start by listing all the ingredients in your recipe along with their quantities. Then, look up the nutritional information for each ingredient (usually per 100g) and calculate the values based on the amount used.
Once you have the individual figures, add them together to get the total nutritional content of the dish. You can then divide this by the number of portions to estimate the nutritional value per serving.
While this manual method can be accurate, it can also be time-consuming. Fortunately, there are many apps and online tools available that can automatically calculate nutritional values for you. By entering your ingredients and portion sizes, these tools generate a breakdown of calories, macronutrients and other key values.¹
This can be particularly useful if you regularly cook at home and want to keep track of your overall intake without doing manual calculations each time.
At the end of the day, nutritional labels are a handy resource that can really help you to make more informed choices about the food you eat. And best of all, they’re completely free and easy to get hold of – just pop to your local supermarket and let your new nutritional label know-how guide you.
References
- National Health Service (NHS). (2022). Food labels. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-read-food-labels/
- Department of Health and Social Care. (2013). Front-of-Pack nutrition labelling guidance. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/front-of-pack-nutrition-labelling-guidance
- British Nutrition Foundation. (2023). Understanding food labels. https://www.nutrition.org.uk/putting-it-into-practice/food-labelling/
- World Health Organization (WHO). (2023). Healthy diet. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
- Public Health England. (2019). The Eatwell Guide. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide
