The Health Star Rating is a government-led, front-of-pack labelling system designed to help you compare the nutritional profile of packaged food and beverages at a glance. The system assigns ratings from  ½ a star up to 5 stars, providing a simple, visual way to make healthier choices among similar products. Essentially, the more stars, the healthier the choice.

Health Star Ratings are calculated by weighing a product’s positive components against its negative ones. Products earn more stars for beneficial nutrients such as protein and dietary fibre, or ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. Conversely, higher levels of energy, sodium (salt), saturated fat, and sugar will generally result in a lower rating.

The best way to use the stars is for comparing similar products side-by-side. For instance, it’s a fantastic tool for comparing two different muesli bars to find the better option for your lunchbox. Keep in mind, it isn’t designed to compare completely different categories of food, like pitting a muesli bar against a breakfast cereal.

Health Star Ratings are a helpful tool to use alongside the