Nutrition classifications/tags for our recipes

Wondering how much fat is in that recipe? Or whether something is gluten-free? Or ok for your partner on a low-salt diet? Here's how we classify the recipes on the Foodwatch site. Check out the fat, saturated fat, kilojoules, fibre, GI, carbs, protein ... and allergy listings.

Low fat

The recipe has less than 10 g fat per serve for mains, less than 6 g fat for light meals or desserts and less than 4 g fat for side dishes or snacks. Note we round figures to the nearest whole number - for ease of reading.

Low saturated fat

The recipe has less than 3 g of saturated per serve for mains, less than 2 g for light meals and less than 1 g for sides, desserts or snacks.

 Low kilojoule or diet

The recipe has less than 1500 kJ per serve for main meals, 1200 kJ for light meals, less than 1000 kJ per serve for desserts/snacks and 200 kJ per 250 ml glass for drinks. Note we round kilojoules to the nearest 0 or 5.

In calories, this is:

The recipe has less than 350 Cals per serve for main meals, 275 Cals for light meals, less than 150 Cals per serve for desserts/snacks and 50 Cals per 250 ml glass for drinks. Note: figures have been rounded to make life easier.  See my handy conversion guide for kilojoules to calories.

High fibre

The recipe has 6 g fibre or more per serve for mains and 3 g of fibre or more for light meals, desserts, sides or snacks.

 Low GI

The recipe has carbohydrates that are slowly digested or are modified to release slowly into the body. For example, lentils, kidney beans, pasta, grainy bread, yoghurt, peaches, pears or apples (temperate-climate fruit).

Low carb

The recipe has less than 15 g total carbohydrate (starch and sugars) per serve. If you have diabetes, this means less than one carbohydrate exchange (unit).

Low salt (sodium)

The recipe has less than 500 mg sodium per serve for mains or 250 mg sodium for light meals or breakfast. Not applied to desserts or baking. We use salt-reduced products  (such as stocks and sauces). Note we round figures to 0 or 5 mg. This does NOT mean salt-free which must have less than 120 mg per 100 g and not contain salt or any sodium-based ingredients. For help in converting sodium to salt and vice versa, try my handy guide to Sodium and salt.

 High protein

The recipe has more than 10 g protein per serve for main dishes and 5 g protein for sides.

 Healthy heart

The recipe is both low in saturated fat AND low in salt WITH no refined carbohydrate.

Diabetes friendly

The recipe must fit the criteria for low saturated fat, low GI and/or high fibre, low salt AND no more than 60 g carbohydrate per serve which equals 4 carb exchanges.

Gluten-free

The recipe has no ingredients that are known to contain gluten from the grains wheat, rye, barley, spelt and oats. But always check the individual ingredients especially any ready-made products eg malt from barley, thickeners from wheat, glucose syrup from wheat.

Vegetarian

The recipe has no ingredients that are known to commonly contain meat or meat products, chicken or fish. Eggs and dairy foods are acceptable (ovo-lacto-vegetarian). But always check the individual ingredients especially any packet food eg. gelatine.

Dairy-free

The recipe has no ingredients that are known to commonly contain dairy products (milk, yoghurt, cheese, cream, butter). But always check the individual ingredients especially any packet food eg. milk solids, whey powder, casein.

Egg-free

The recipe has no ingredients that are known to commonly contain eggs or egg-derived products. But always check the individual ingredients especially any packet food eg. egg glazes on baked items, egg white powder in smoothies, bars.

Accompaniments to meals such as bread, rice or potato

Our analyses include any food we suggest to serve with the main recipe in order to have a balanced meal. So, for example, if a bread roll is suggested as an accompaniment to a soup, the analysis includes the bread roll as well as the soup! We always define what's included.

Measures

Our recipes use Australian standard metric measures.

• 1 cup = 250ml (level, not heaped)
• 1 level tablespoon = 20ml
• 1 level teaspoon = 5ml

Oven temperatures are given in degrees Celsius (ºC).

For a quick guide to weights and measures in both imperial and metric, go to our post in the Handy Stuff section.

Negligible means:

• Kilojoules less than 40 per serve
• Fat less than 0.5 g per serve
• Saturated fat less than 0.5 g per serve

Now to browse our collection of healthy recipes