HOW TO · 2026-08-14
Front-of-pack claims are marketing. The back of the pack is where the truth is. Here is the order to read it in.
"High protein" on the front of a pack is a regulated claim, but it is a low bar: it means at least 20% of the energy in the product comes from protein. A small pack can clear that with very little actual protein in it. Here is how to check in the time it takes to walk to the till.
This is the single biggest trick in food-to-go. Per 100g figures look flattering on a heavy product and terrible on a light one. You are eating the pack, so read the per pack column.
Under 10g is a snack. 15g is a light lunch. 20g+ is a meal that will actually hold you. Every pack in the Gym Fuel range is 20g or more, which is why the number is on the front.
A lunch between 350 and 550 calories fits almost any daily target. Above 700 and it is not really lunch, it is dinner eaten standing up.
Adults are advised to stay under 6g of salt a day. A lot of food-to-go packs carry 2g or more in one sitting. Anything at or under 1.5g per pack is reasonable for a made-up sandwich.
Ingredients are listed by weight. If the meat or fish you are paying for is not in the first three, you are mostly buying bread and mayonnaise. Look for a named percentage — "cooked chicken breast (26%)" tells you far more than "chicken".
Bold text in the ingredients, and a "may contain" line for shared facilities. If you are coeliac or have a severe allergy, that second line matters as much as the first.