Snacks and food choices

Compare bar weight, protein, sugars, fibre and energy. Per 100 g values help compare products; whole-bar values help plan a snack.

No. A product with no added sugar can contain sugars naturally present in its ingredients, so check the “of which sugars” line.

Find the sweetener names and warnings on the packaging. Products with different sweeteners can differ in taste and individual tolerance.

Look for an explicit gluten-free label on the individual product. A protein, rice-based or vegan snack is not automatically gluten-free.

Check vegan labelling and ingredients: sweets may contain milk ingredients, gelatine or other animal-derived components.

Compare portion weight, grains, nuts, dried fruit and added syrups. “Muesli” does not describe the bar exact nutrition.

Compare ingredients, protein, sugars and prepared serving size. Adding milk or other ingredients changes the final breakfast nutrition.

First check whether values are for dry or prepared food. Water changes the weight during cooking, so these figures are not directly comparable.

Compare the nut percentage and full ingredients. A nut-based butter and a dessert blend with cocoa, oils or sweeteners can differ substantially.

Compare ingredients, nutrition and your actual portion. Small values for a few millilitres do not describe the whole bottle or every serving size.

Check whether caffeine is stated per 100 ml or for the whole pack. A different can volume requires a calculation.

Start with the pack recipe: water, eggs, milk and heating methods depend on the mix. Do not substitute it for ordinary flour without checking proportions.