Mum-of-three Pippa Wetzell is no novice to healthy food, as the presenter on TV One’s consumer show Fair Go.
“I’m really mindful of the relationship my kids have with food, so I’m trying to help them choose foods that will make them healthy and strong so they have energy to do all the cool things they want to do.”
Even with her busy schedule, she’s focused on making healthy food choices a priority for her and her children – especially when it comes to hidden sugar in processed foods.
“What I try to avoid is junky food disguised as healthy food. I’d much rather sugar came in a recognisable form,” she says.
In the July issue of NEXT we speak to Pippa about helping her family of five eat better.
Here are some pointers to help decipher food labels:
Servings per package and serving size: It’s really important to take note of how many servings are in a packet, and how big that serving size is, as food manufacturers can manipulate it to make their product appear healthier. In a box of muesli, for example, take note of how much muesli is a ‘serve’ – then pour that amount into a bowl and see if it’s the same as what you would usually serve yourself. Often it’s much smaller than you think!
Per 100g column: The 100g column helps us judge a product against recommended guidelines. It’s also good for comparing two products in the same category, such as the fibre content per 100g of two different breakfast cereals.
Per serve column: Use the per serve column to find out the amount of a nutrient, such as carbohydrates, that are in one serving, so you know exactly how much you’re actually consuming.
Put it to use
To maintain a healthy diet, the Ministry of Health recommends:
Sugar: Choose food with less than 10g sugar per 100g.
Fibre: Choose food with more than 6g fibre per 100g.
Fat: Choose foods with less than 2g saturated fat per 100g and food with less than 10g total fat per 100g.
Salt: Choose food with less than 450mg sodium per 100g.
To read more about food labels, and Fair Go’s Pippa Wetzell’s personal story of helping her family of five eat better, check out the July issue of NEXT
