UK food labels contain a significant amount of information — but they are not always presented in a way that makes healthy choosing easy. Understanding how to quickly extract the most relevant information from a food label is one of the most practical nutritional skills available, enabling genuinely informed choices at the supermarket without a degree in nutrition science.
The Traffic Light System
The front-of-pack traffic light system — voluntary in the UK but adopted by most major supermarkets and manufacturers — colour-codes key nutrients per portion as red (high), amber (medium), or green (low). The nutrients covered: fat, saturated fat, sugars, and salt. Green means relatively healthy levels; amber means moderate; red means high and worth being aware of. The NHS Eatwell guidance recommends choosing foods with more greens and ambers and fewer reds as the simplest application of the traffic light system. A product with all green lights across the four categories is nutritionally sound by this measure; a product with multiple red lights warrants a second look.
The Nutrition Information Table
The back-of-pack nutrition table (mandatory on all pre-packed UK foods under UK food law) provides detailed nutrient content per 100g and usually per portion. The per-100g column allows direct comparison between products — regardless of different portion sizes, the per-100g figure is the honest comparison point. The per-portion column tells you what you are actually consuming in a standard serving. Key numbers to check: Energy (kcal) — the calorie content per portion; Saturated fat — high is above 5g per 100g, low is below 1.5g; Sugars — high is above 22.5g per 100g (note this is total sugars, including those naturally present in fruit and dairy); Salt — high is above 1.5g per 100g. The NHS food labels guide provides the full reference values.
The Ingredients List
Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight — the first ingredient is present in the largest quantity. This makes the ingredients list a quick scan for food quality: if sugar, refined flour, or hydrogenated fat appears in the first three ingredients, the product is likely to be heavily processed. If the list is short (under five ingredients) and consists of recognisable food names rather than E-numbers and chemical names, the product is likely to be minimally processed. Long ingredients lists with many additives, emulsifiers, and flavourings are characteristic of ultra-processed foods whose regular consumption is associated with worse health outcomes in large-scale research. The British Nutrition Foundation ingredient reading guidance explains the significance of ingredient order.
Free Sugar vs Total Sugar
The "sugars" figure on UK nutrition labels includes both naturally occurring sugars (in fruit, vegetables, and dairy) and added free sugars. A pot of plain yoghurt may show 5g of sugars — these are entirely lactose (milk sugar), not added sugar. A flavoured yoghurt may show 15g — the difference is added sugar. Reading the ingredients list alongside the sugar figure clarifies this: if sugar, glucose syrup, honey, or any variant appears in the ingredients, those are free (added) sugars. The UK government recommends limiting free sugars to 30g daily for adults.
"Low Fat" and Other Claims
Front-of-pack claims are regulated in the UK under food law. "Low fat" means less than 3g fat per 100g. "Reduced fat" means at least 30% less fat than the standard product — but the comparison product may be very high in fat, making "reduced" still high. "Light" or "lite" has no standardised legal definition and can be applied to colour, flavour, or salt as well as calories. "Natural" has no legal definition. The most reliable information is always the nutrition table — not the marketing claim on the front.
Fresh Healthy Food Delivered to Your London Office
Making consistently healthy food choices is much easier when quality food is delivered directly to you. Vanda's Kitchen near St Paul's EC4 brings certified halal, 100% nut-free, freshly prepared lunches to City of London offices — built around exactly the healthy food choice principles covered in this article. View our team lunch options or WhatsApp us about delivery to your office.
For more food choice guidance, see our ultra-processed foods guide and the NHS food labels resource.
Fresh Healthy Food for London Offices
Vanda's Kitchen near St Paul's EC4 delivers certified halal, 100% nut-free, freshly prepared lunches to City offices — built around the whole food, balanced nutrition principles covered here. Full allergen labelling, Selfridges Food Hall quality. View our team lunch options or WhatsApp us.
Fresh Healthy Food for London Offices
Vanda's Kitchen near St Paul's EC4 delivers certified halal, 100% nut-free, freshly prepared lunches to City offices — built around the whole food, balanced nutrition principles covered here. Full allergen labelling, Selfridges Food Hall quality. View our team lunch options or WhatsApp us.