Spreads A round-up of our fave nut, seed and sweet toppings

Choosing a healthy spread can be hard, so here are some that will surely be your jam

When it comes to choosing the best spread for your wholegrain toast or cracker, it is important to always check out both the ingredients list and the nutrition information panel.

The ingredients are listed in descending weights, so the first couple of ingredients will generally give you a good idea of what the product is primarily made up of. Therefore, it can be useful to avoid products that list an added sugar or salt as the first or second ingredient.

The nutrition information panel will always list nutrients per recommended serve and per 100g. When comparing products, always compare using the ‘per 100g’ data, as the recommended serve size will vary between brands and often doesn’t match how much you serve yourself.

If choosing a nut or seed spread, aim to choose one that contains:

No more than 200mg of sodium per 100g; and

Less than 1/3 of the total fat being saturated/trans fat.

If choosing a sweet-flavoured spread, look for one that contains:

Less than 1000kJ per

100g; and

Preferably no added sugars. ■