Food Facts

Below is a wealth of information to help you on your way to choosing a healthy diet. There are more hints and tips on healthy eating, plus Check Your Diet; an online tool that lets you assess your daily diet, and nutrition information on the full range of Nestlé products. And if you have an allergy or intolerance to certain foods or ingredients you'll find information here for you too.

Energy

All foods give us energy (also called calories). Energy is our power supply, it is essential for everything we do – walking, running, shopping, dancing, gardening and even sleeping! Did you know we burn around 60–80kcal (depending on gender and body size) each hour we’re asleep!

Fats

Fats are an essential part of our diet. They provide energy and carry the essential fat–soluble vitamins. Fats also contribute to our enjoyment of foods, providing taste and texture. On average we tend to eat too much fat, and especially saturated fats. When it comes to fats it’s all a question of balance. A fat free diet would mean that we miss out on fat soluble vitamins, but a high fat diet often results in weight gain (fat contains 9 calories per gram) and increases the likelihood of a raised cholesterol level.

Sugars

Sugars are part of the carbohydrates group and all provide us with 4 calories (that’s the energy) per gram. When thinking about sugars we typically picture the white crystalline sugar (sucrose) found in our sugar bowls but, there are in fact many different types of sugars in our diets, some occurring naturally in fruits and milk and others added to our foods and drinks. Pure sugars only provide energy and no other nutrients such as vitamins or minerals and therefore make little nutritional contribution to our diets. However sugars have wide range of functions in foods; adding flavour and sweetness to foods, texture, colour and helping to preserve foods for example in jams and marmalades.

Salt

Salt is a mineral which is also known by its chemical name sodium chloride. It’s the sodium part of salt that is linked with the health problems associated with a high salt intake. Salt is used in foods and drink in many ways, including enhancing food flavours and as a preservative e.g. in meats or frankfurters.

Fibre

Fibre is a type of carbohydrate found in plant foods (e.g. cereals, fruits, vegetables and pulses) that the body is not able to fully digest and absorb. However although we don’t fully digest and absorb fibre, the vital goodness it provides can be seen in our overall health and well being – both in terms of digestive health and that of our whole bodies.   

Fluids

Water accounts for around two thirds of our body and is an important part of our diet. While we are able to survive a while without food, we need to replenish our water stores frequently. Water plays a role in all body systems – forming part of our blood, helping the body to transport vitamins and minerals to cells, vital for brain function and helping to control body temperature.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals are substances that the body needs in small amounts to keep fit and healthy, but they provide no energy. There are a number of vitamins and minerals essential for great health and they are found in a wide range of foods and drinks. By eating a healthy balanced diet you should be able to get all of the vitamins and minerals that you need each day. There are many different vitamins and minerals, but they are all essential in the functioning and maintenance of a healthy body. Although vitamins and mineral play vital roles in our health they contribute no energy to the diet. Each vitamin and mineral is needed in different amounts and for different purposes within the body. The amount needed can vary throughout life and through the different life stages.

Vegetarian

People choose to eat vegetarian diets for a wide variety of reasons, such as for health, personal or religious and ethical beliefs.  There are also a growing number of people who are semi–vegetarians i.e. they mainly choose vegetarian foods but may still eat poultry or an occasional meat dish. Whatever the reasons for becoming a vegetarian, the range of suitable foods are wide ranging and varied, and usually include nuts, fruits, vegetables, cereals, grains and pulses, eggs, milk and dairy foods. Some vegetarians, known as pescetarians, exclude meat but eat fish, and others called lacto–ovo–vegetarians exclude all meats but eat dairy and eggs. Vegans are also another stricter type of vegetarianism.

More Food Facts

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