Checking the “traffic light” nutrition label is a good way to compare products, make healthier choices and eat a balanced diet
Know your colours
The red, amber and green colours show at a glance whether a product is high, medium or low for fat, saturates, sugars or salt. For a healthier choice choose products with more greens and fewer reds.
The nutrition label shows you how many calories and how much fat, saturates, sugars and salt is in a portion.
The label shows both the number of grams and the share (%) of your daily allowance (RI).
Check the pack for the portion size; this is what the numbers on the nutrition label are based on.
Reference Intake (RI) has replaced the term Guideline Daily Amount or GDA. Aim to stay below 100% of your daily allowance (RI) for calories, fat, saturates, sugars and salt when you add up everything you consume in a day.
Check the pack for the number of calories there are in a portion and in 100g. The average woman needs 2,000 calories per day. The average man 2,500 calories per day. Children fewer than 2,000 depending on their age.