A guide to kilojoule consumption.
For most adults, the average recommended energy intake is 8700kj a day, which can buy you quite a lot of food, depending, of course, on what you choose to eat. Here is how much, and how little, approximately 400kJ gives you.
Served over a multigrain corn thin with fresh tomato and cucumber, this is a delicious way to enjoy vitamins and minerals, high-quality protein, healthy fats and antioxidants.
Even without adding any fat in the cooking method, half a thick, grilled beef sausage contains a total of 6.5g of total fat, over 3g of saturated fat and only 6.5g of protein. Avoid if you're trying to lose weight.
For a terrific, low-GI snack with fibre and antioxidants, try five dried apricots and eight raw almonds. It's an easy snack to pack in your bag and the combination tastes delicious.
This chocolate treat might taste good, but there's nothing more than sugar, carbohydrate and fat in this one-bite wonder. If you're trying to lose weight then this can only ever be an occasional, if ever, treat.
One cup of broccoli, two carrots, 10 snow peas, a quarter of a capsicum and one button squash is almost the entire recommended daily intake of vegies. With more than 9g of fibre, lots of vitamins and antioxidants, this is nutrient-dense food at its best.
For satiety, protein foods rule and canned tuna packed in spring water is an easy, transportable and inexpensive way to get protein. With a total of 20g of protein in one small can, it can stave off hunger pangs for hours.
The smell of hot chips is seductive but the advice is to resist. It won't take long to eat eight chips - and a whole lot more - but in the process you are clocking up a lot of energy for very little nutritional gain.
In most countries, a tablespoon measure is 15ml but in Australia it's 20ml. It's the equivalent of an extra 132kJ of whole-egg mayonnaise, so buy a European measure or serve three-quarters of a tablespoon.
Half a cup of raspberries, one-third of a cup of blueberries, four large, sliced strawberries and two tablespoons of low-fat natural yoghurt is scrumptious, and another nutrient-dense meal for very little energy.
Judy Davie is the author and co-author of the books, The Food Coach Recipe Book (Penguin), Read the Label (Random House) and Star Foods (ABC Books). Judy also produces and presents online videos that show how to make delicious and easy healthy meals. Visit her website at www.thefoodcoach.com.au