What does 8,700 kilojoules look like in food

8,700 is a magic number in nutrition. It’s the number of kilojoules (kJ) that is the “average” intake for adults in Australia, if the surveys are correct. It’s widely used as a benchmark figure and as the basis of food labels such as the Percent Daily Intake values. Recently kilojoules have appeared on fast food menu boards and they use 8,700 as the yardstick to assess their foods against.

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4-step guide to avoiding additives

Are you suspicious of additives with their long, strange chemical names and code numbers? Well maybe you should be. Not just because some are considered harmful but because additives are usually indicators that a food is over-processed, cheap and manufactured. The stuff that keeps forever in your cupboard!

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5 reasons why I'm in favour of The Tick

Do you look for the red-and-white “Tick” of approval when you shop?  Is it really giving you the healthiest choice on the shelf? Or is it something that companies just buy to make their product look better for you?  I’ve long been a supporter of the Tick program and think it’s proved that it’s got the clout to make the Australian food supply healthier without alienating shoppers.

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Nutella. The full (correct) list of ingredients

Have you ever tried to find the exact list of ingredients for Nutella online? The identical one that appears on its label - in descending order from the first (largest ingredient by weight) to the last ingredient, as required by food law? Well, you won’t find it! Here’s the hoop-la I went through to discover exactly what the ingredients in Nutella are and why Nutella is not good for your kids.

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%DI Labelling - what does it mean?

If you're into healthy eating then you probably survey the food packs for nutrition information. It isn't always clear is it? You may have spotted the %DI on the labels but do you know how to interpret this for you or your children?  The food industry believes many consumers are confused by labelling and has come up with a new way of presenting the figures on pack but I'm not sure it will be all that helpful.

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Coping with food allergies

What do you do when your child's best friend is coming over but can't eat nuts or eggs or dairy (or any number of other common ingredients)? What can you bake for a birthday cake or whip up for a safe after-school snack? Here's help for the food intolerant.

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Seven additives you don’t need to worry about

If you are serious about a healthy diet then you probably check your food labels for additives or code number as well as the list of ingredients. So here are seven that are harmless or even good for you. Surprised? Read on ...

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Serious about weight loss - then check your labels: not all serves are equal!

When it comes to serve sizes on food labels, you'll find not all serves equal! Read on to see how you can avoid being fooled when it comes to how big that portion that you're eating really is. If you're trying to eat a healthy, balanced diet or stick to a healthy weight loss regime this is "must have" information.

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Additives – why do they use them?

Supermarket shelves today are crammed full of food products which advertise they are free of artificial colours and flavourings or contain no preservatives. The increasing claims for 'natural' and 'nothing artificial' on products are testimony to the image additives have as modern-day villains. As more and more shoppers scan the fine print, it pays to know why they're added.

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Healthy eating begins with healthy shopping! Try these 12 handy tips

There are many factors to consider when deciding what to buy at the supermarket. Nutrition, taste, convenience, cost and whether the rest of the family will eat it all enter into it. But it's important to rank nutrition high up the scale if you want a healthier, daily diet. Here's how to improve your eating habits right from the start - when you buy your food.

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