• energy
• protein
• total fat
• saturated fat
• total carbohydrate
• sugar
• sodium (salt)
The amounts of these nutrients are given as grams per serve and grams per 100g of the product. Amount per 100g is more useful when comparing similar products, because serve sizes may vary between manufacturers.
When shopping for healthy foods, it is important to understand how to use the NIP. Some commonly asked questions include: How much sugar is acceptable? How much fat? How much salt?
The answer to these questions depends on the types of foods we are consuming. Different types of foods will naturally contain different amounts of fat, carbohydrate, sugar, and salt. For example, cereals will always be high in total carbohydrate with greatly varying amounts of sugar, whereas cheeses will be very low in sugar with greatly varying amounts of fat. Below are a few examples of different food types and what to be aware of when reading the NIP.
Milk:
Full cream milk will normally contain 3-4g fat per 100ml. Reduced fat milk will contain about 1-2g per 100ml. This may be accompanied by a slight increase in sugar content. However, it is more important to look at the fat content in this situation. The reason for this is that 1g of sugar = 17kJ energy, whereas 1g fat = 37kJ. Therefore a small decrease in fat will outweigh a small increase in sugar. Skim milk is most desirable for those attempting weight loss, as it contains less than 1g fat per 100ml.
Yoghurt:
Aim for less than 3g fat per 100g, and less than 15g carbohydrate per 100g. Plain low-fat yoghurt is very low in fat and sugar and is therefore most desirable.
Cheese:
All cheeses are very low in carbohydrate, so it is not necessary to compare the carbohydrate or sugar content of cheeses. Aim for less than 4g fat per 100g hard cheese, or cottage or ricotta cheese. Even reduced fat cheeses contain 15-25g fat per 100g, so try to consume small serving sizes.
Breakfast cereal:
Firstly, a wholegrain cereal should be chosen. This means that the first one or two ingredients on the ingredient list will be whole grain, whole wheat, oats. However, most major brands have incorporated a wholegrain logo on to the front of the package so that looking up the ingredient list is not necessary.
The use of wholegrains and/or fruit will increase the fibre content of the cereal. More than 7g of fibre per 100g is desirable. Increasing fibre will have benefits for weight control, cardiovascular health, and gastrointestinal health.
With regard to fat, it is desirable to aim for less than 2g saturated fat per 100g. Cereals vary greatly in sugar content, and less than 10g per 100g is desirable. However, this is very hard to achieve in a cereal containing fruit as one of its main ingredients. As fruit contains sugar, then fruity cereals will often contain 20-30% sugar. Such cereals are still a healthy choice.
Canned Fish:
Aim for total fat less than 10g per 100g. The best varieties are plain tuna or salmon in spring water. Canned fish in oil will be high in fat, and canned fish in brine will be high in sodium (salt).
Margarine/butter:
All varieties are high in fat, and should be used sparingly. Aim for total fat less than 50g per 100g. When fat content is high, it is useful to choose the variety that contains less saturated fat. This is because saturated fat will raise cholesterol and increase cardiovascular disease risk.
Sodium also deserves a mention, as a high sodium intake will increase cardiovascular disease risk. Where possible, choose “salt free”, “low salt” or “no added salt” products. This is particularly important for those with high blood pressure, or those who need to prevent fluid build up in the body.
Due to the various compositions of different food types, we can’t simply state that fat and sugar should always be less than 2% for example. However, the NIP is a useful tool for comparing similar foods. It can also identify foods high in fat and/or sugar. These should still be enjoyed, although less often and in small serve sizes.
Walk through Life is a 'well being' program devised and delivered in association with interested locally based practitioners and health professionals by Josie Folino who can be contacted by email: josie@sjaw.biz
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