Reading Nutrition Labels Like a Pro

Packaged foods list energy, fat, carbs, protein, and more. Reading labels correctly makes your calorie app entries far more accurate.

Serving size vs. whole package

Labels show values per serving and often per 100g. If you eat the whole pack but the serving is half a pack, double the calories. Always check how many servings you actually consumed.

Energy: kcal and kJ

UK labels use kJ and kcal. For tracking, use kcal (kilocalories—the "Calories" on US labels). 1 kcal ≈ 4.2 kJ if you need to convert.

Per 100g helps comparisons

Comparing cereals or yogurts? Per 100g (or per 100ml) shows density without marketing portion tricks.

Traffic lights and ingredients

Red/amber/green guides highlight sugar, fat, and salt. Ingredient lists run by weight—sugar near the top means the product is sugar-heavy even if "low fat."

Barcode scanning

Scanning pulls database values instantly, but verify the serving size matches what you ate. If the scan looks wrong, search by weight (grams) from the label.

Simple Calorie Counter's barcode feature is built for quick UK shopping—double-check once, then save frequent foods for one-tap logging.