Understanding the nutrition information that appears on food labels can go a long way towards helping you appreciate exactly what’s in the food you eat and help you make choices that fit the needs of you and your family.
Most labels show the proportion of each nutrient in 100g of the product as well as per serving. Hovis bread provides the ultimate form of portion size – one slice or two! We also provide a range of slice thickness, to suit your individual tastes and energy needs.
Top tips for label reading
- Checking out portion sizes is important. For example, when choosing a sandwich look out for the total number of calories and saturated fat in each pack and choose a lower calorie level if you want a healthier option.
- If you are comparing the nutrient content of a product, it is sometimes easier to compare per 100g.
- Look at the ingredients list, which is listed in order of quantity
- Use the other forms of labelling and signposting that are available to help you make a healthy choice e.g. GDAs
Once you know how much of a certain nutrient a product contains in each serving, you can refer to the Guideline Daily Amounts to see how much it contributes to your overall total – and decide how it should fit within your family’s diet. Should it form a staple part of the diet or is it a treat that should be eaten in moderation?
The table below shows the Guideline levels needed by adult male and females each day:
Guideline Daily Amounts | Women/ All Adults* | Men | Children aged 5-10 |
Kcal | 2000 | 2500 | 1800 |
Protein | 45g | 55g | 24g |
Carbohydrate | 230g | 300g | 220g |
Of which sugars | 90g | 120g | 85g |
Fat | 70g | 95g | 70g |
Of which saturates | 20g | 30g | 20g |
Fibre | 24g | 24g | 15g |
Sodium | 2.5g | 2.5g | 1.4g |
Salt equivalent | 6g | 6g | 4g |
Source: Institute of Grocery Distribution *These average figures are the ones used on Hovis packs. In general, active men will have slightly higher requirements and younger children slightly lower.
At first glance, all those figures can make things seem complicated. But with a little practice it’ll soon become second nature to check what the label’s telling you as you go round the supermarket before you add anything to your basket.
