When making food choices now it is far easier to assess the nutritional information of an item in the UK due to the introduction of the "traffic light" system, where things like fat, carbohydrate and sodium are ranked either green (good), orange (okay) or red (bad).
Previously, consumers had to make decisions based purely on the figures listed per 100g or per serving, which were a lot more confusing.
The traffic light system is supported by the British Heart Foundation who are dedicated to reducing the number of people with obesity and heart disease. They write on their website:
"We believe that a traffic light labelling system is key to
helping people make informed choices. With an unhealthy diet
being a key factor for obesity, traffic light labels provide a
clear guide about the level of fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt
in products that are highly processed, like ready
meals".
I would agree with this statement. I now find it much easier to make healthy choices in the supermarket without having to studying lists of ingredients or nutritional information.
