Making sure you get the right type of calorie

The British Nutrition Foundation is launching a concept called the "quality calorie", to make people think more about the types of foods they eat.

While most adults consume more than they need, simply counting calories and cutting down is not enough, it says.

It wants people to look at nutritional values to select the best calories.

Public Health England said excess calories were the root cause of obesity and tackling the issue was a priority.

Calories give people energy - women need about 2,000 a day and men 2,500.

Public Health England suggests:

Food packaging will tell you how many calories (kcal) the contents have - but working out the healthiest choice can be trickier.

High-calorie foods are often less healthy but not always. And those sold as low-calorie may not be the healthiest.

Low-calorie means:

Manufacturers are allowed to say their food is calorie-free if a serving has fewer than five calories - but these still count.

Experts often refer to alcohol - but any food or drink high in sugar but low in nutritional value can be said to have empty calories.

When people say hidden calories, they mean foods or drinks higher in calories than most people might expect.

About a quarter of calories now come from food and drink consumed outside of the home, according to government research.

Increasingly, cafes, coffee shops and restaurants are making calorie information more visible. But it can still be difficult to keep track, especially if you add extra ingredients and flavours to your purchase.

According to Public Health England, a healthy diet should include:

Things to cut down on are:

A body mass index calculator can help you judge if you are a healthy weight or not.

If you do need to lose weight, NHS Choices says aim to lose about 0.5-1kg (1-2lb) a week by consuming about 500-600kcal fewer a day than you need.

Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at PHE, said: "We clearly need to improve the nation's diet but excess calories are the root cause of obesity - this is why we are working with the food industry to reduce sugar and calories in everyday foods."

Dr Frankie Phillips, from the British Dietetics Association, said: "If you are eating too many calories, then you need to be cutting down but also making sure the ones you are consuming count for more in terms of nutrition. It's about getting value for your calories.

"Focusing on just one nutrient, like cutting down on only fat or sugar or calories, runs the risk of missing out on crucial nutrients."