Food Nutrition Label in 30 Seconds: Per 100 g, Sugar and Salt (Video)

Transcript

Did you know 4 g of sugar equals one teaspoon?

Did you know 4 g of sugar equals one teaspoon?

Quick Label Check

In just half a minute you can spot hidden sugar, salt and fibre on any pack, helping you make smarter choices without getting lost in the fine print.

Find 100 g column

Flip the package, locate the per-100-gram column, it’s the only number that lets you compare biscuits to cereal. Then read the three key values: sugar, sodium and fibre.

Serving size trick

Check the serving size printed on the pack. Manufacturers often shrink it to make the calories look low. Use the per-100-gram data instead to see the true amount you’ll eat.

Sugar teaspoon equivalence

Four grams of sugar equals roughly one level teaspoon. That’s a handy mental conversion when you see the sugar column, just divide the gram number by four to get teaspoons.

Salt math

To turn sodium into salt, multiply the milligram amount by 2.5 and then divide by a thousand. That gives you grams of salt, and the adult daily limit is about five grams.

Salt conversion

Four hundred milligrams of sodium translates to one gram of salt. Knowing this helps you spot high-salt snacks, because many packets list sodium, not salt, on the label.

Hidden sugar names

Sugar hides under many names. Anything ending in, ose, like sucrose or fructose, counts. Syrups, honey, jaggery, maltodextrin and even ‘natural’ sweeteners add up, so add them together in your head.

No added vs sugar-free

‘No added sugar’ means the manufacturer didn’t sprinkle extra sugar, but fruit juice or honey can still make it sweet. ‘Sugar-free’ usually means less than half a gram per 100 g, often with artificial sweeteners.

The one check

The single habit that saves you hidden sugar is always checking the per-100 gram sugar amount first, then comparing that number across brands before you buy. It’s the fastest way to cut excess sugar.

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Read the full guide

The full guide is on thecareonline.com. General information only, so check with your doctor for your own case.