Sugar: the missing (label) link

I have this pet peeve about sugar and it's drawn attention to every time I look at the Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) on the back of a food label (which is relatively often considering I'm a Dietitian and like knowing what's in my food). And it's not what's there that bothers me, but rather what ISN'T there: a row under total sugars labelled 'added sugar'.

Why does this bother me so much? Maybe because there's a big difference between sugars naturally occurring in the food to those added by man to sweeten a product. And yes, this problem could be solved by simply avoiding all packaged and processed foods, which is certainly a good aim to have, but isn't all that realistic for the average person.

Consider the amount of sugar in a bowl of natural muesli (21%) versus a chocolate chip muesli bar (also 21%). While they may have the same amount of sugars (total) they certainly aren't comparable nutritionally. And that's because the sweetness in the muesli is coming from sugars naturally occurring in the dried fruit, while the muesli bar contains added sugar in both the choc chips and the bar itself

Similarly, plain Greek yoghurt (with no added sugar) still has 4.8% sugars and that's because dairy products contain lactose, a naturally occurring sugar. Whereas, a low fat strawberry flavoured yoghurt which has 12.6% sugars contains a mix of natural and added sugars (but mostly sugar added for sweetness).

So be mindful when looking at labels that you make a mental note to differentiate between natural and added sugars by looking at the ingredients list. If the product contains a large proportion of fruit, milk or yoghurt then those products may have a higher content of sugars due to those naturally occurring in the fruit or dairy. But if sugar (or brown rice or malt syrup, honey, agave, molasses, dextran, glucose or invert sugar, or any other of sugars aliases) is listed on the label, particularly in the first few ingredients as they are listed in order of amount, then it's safe to say that product contains too much (added) sugar.

To find out more about reading labels, check out my post Nutrition Information Panels: Decoded.

Product Review: Chic Nuts

I recently discovered this product when it was recommended to me by another dietetics student. I love the taste and think they're a healthy snack and a great way to get extra legumes into our day (one food group many of us miss out on altogether). Chickpeas themselves are full of nutritional benefits but I thought I would analyse these roasted chickpeas and do the hard work for you!

What are chickpeas?

Chickpeas are a legume. Also called 'pulses', legumes include all forms of beans and peas from the Fabaceae botanical family. Other legumes include: butter beans, cannellini beans, red kidney beans, soy beans, lentils, mung beans and split peas. Think baked beans, hommus, Mexican dishes and dahl!

Why are legumes good for us and how much of them should we be having?

Legumes are rich in protein, fibre, B vitamins and phytonutrients. They are low G.I., low in fat (in particular saturated fat), and gluten free.

They are the only food that are included in two of the five food groups:
- 'Vegetables and legumes/beans'
- 'Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds and legumes/beans'

They are classed in the vegetable group because of their high source of fibre, vitamins and minerals, and as part of the lean meat and alternatives group because they are a good source of protein. This makes them great for vegetarians too!

The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend we have:
- 5-6 serves from the 'vegetables and legumes/beans' group each day (where 1/2 C of legumes counts as a serve), and
- 2-3 serves from the 'lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds and legumes/beans' group each day (where 1 C of legumes counts as a serve)

So when you eat legumes it counts towards your serves from both food groups!

So how do Chic Nuts stack up?

Chick Nuts are just chick peas that have been slow roasted and seasoned with salt and/or herbs and garlic. A serve is 25g (or around a 1/4 of a cup). This means it's equal to half a serve of veg!

I've used the nutrition information panel to compare Chick Nuts to the recommendations for each nutrient (see Nutrition Information Panels: Decoded) to see if Chick Nuts really are a healthy snack:

• Energy:             399kJ/serve    (Recommendation is <600kJ/serve for a snack)
• Total fat:           9.3g/100g        (Recommendation is <10g/100g)
• Saturated fat:    2.1g/100g        (Recommendation is <3g/100g)
• Sugars:             2.6g/100g        (Recommendation is <15g/100g)
• Dietary fibre:    4.1g/serve       (Recommendation is >3g/serve)
• Sodium (salt):   300mg/100g    (Recommendation is <400mg/100g)

The final word...

Chick nuts are a crunchy, salty snack that is a healthy alternative to things like chips, while giving you an extra serves of legumes (with plenty of fibre and protein). They meet all of the nutrition panel recommendations and get the tick of approval from me!

Nutrition Information Panels: Decoded

You're in the dairy aisle staring at several shelves of yoghurts. Many claim to be 'low fat' and 'natural' and have been advertised on TV as 'healthy'. You want to choose the best yoghurt but have no idea where to start.

This is the dilemma many people find themselves in and unfortunately is also when all good intentions can get lost if you don't know how to interpret the product's packaging.

The nutritional information panel (NIP) on the back of the pack is the best place to start because it contains the actual 'facts'. NIPs have lots of numbers and without a guide it can be difficult to know where to start, so I've created an easy toolkit to help you to decode food labels and choose the better yoghurt! (or whatever product it may be)...

1. Per Serve and Per 100g columns:

    - Use the per serve column to check the amount of energy a food contains- aim for  less than 600kJ per serve for a snack. You can also use this column to see the fibre content of a product and compare to similar products.

    - Use the per 100g column to compare the fat, sugar and sodium content of similar products.

2. Serving Size

This is the size the manufacturer has decided is a serve (in this case 2 biscuits). Check whether this is the amount you will actually be eating (often it isn't!)- a product may look low in kJ but this changes pretty quickly when you're eating double or more of the recommended serving size.

3. Fat

- Total fat: Generally go for less than 10g per 100g but for dairy (such as milk and yoghurt) aim for less than 2g per 100g and for cheese less than 15g per 100g (as these foods are naturally higher or lower in fat). Remember that total fat includes both good and bad fats!

- Saturated fat: This bad fat can increase cholesterol levels so choose products with less than 3g per 100g (or less than 1.5g if you are at risk of cardiovascular disease).

4. Sugars

Aim for less than 15g per 100g of sugars or less 25g per 100g if it is a product with a high fruit content. Remember that it is the 'added' sugar that is most important to limit- check that sugar isn't too high on the ingredients list.

5. Dietary Fibre

When looking at products in the grain (breads and cereals) food group, wholegrain is best. When comparing similar products, choose the product with the highest fibre content- as a rough guide look for greater than 3g per serve.

6. Sodium (salt)

Sodium is the chemical component in salt which can increase our blood pressure. Foods with less than 400mg per 100g are good but less than 120mg per 100g is better. Try opting for 'low salt' or 'no added salt' products.

Ingredient List

Ingredients are listed from largest to smallest by weight. As a rule of thumb, if sugar, salt or high saturated fat items are listed as one of the 1st three ingredients, put it back!

So next time you find yourself staring at yoghurts in the supermarket (or any other packaged food for that matter!) try turning them over and comparing their NIPs.

Note: The guidelines provided in this article are based on the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and the National Heart Foundation recommendations.