Food 4 Life - What do all the terms mean?

What do all the terms mean?

• Energy - the amount of energy that the food provides. Look for the "kcal" figure which means calories. To keep to a healthy weight, the amount of energy we eat needs to be balanced with the amount of energy we use in daily life.
• Protein - the amount of protein in the food. Protein is needed for growth and repair. Most adults usually eat adequate amounts of protein. The main protein foods include meat, fish, cheese, eggs and pulses.
• Carbohydrate - the total amount of carbohydrate in the food; this includes sugars and starches. You should aim to get most of your energy from starch, but remember that refined carbohydrates in processed foods may cause rapid rises in the blood glucose level.
• ...of which sugars - the amount of the carbohydrate that is in the form of simple sugars (both natural and added sugars). This includes all types of sugars.
• Fat - the total amount of fat in the food; this includes polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fats. It is best to cut down on fat and to choose foods containing polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat rather than saturated fat.
• ...of which saturates - the amount of fat that is saturated fat; this is the type of fat that you particularly need to limit.
• Fibre - the total amount of fibre in the food. Fibre is important for a healthy bowel as well as helping blood glucose control. Fibre found in oats, beans and lentils can help to reduce cholesterol levels too.
• Sodium - indicates how much salt is in a food. Sodium or salt is frequently added to manufactured foods.