Table 1.

Food categories and definitions

Food category	Definition
Fruits	Any fruit-based item: fresh, canned, frozen, dried, whole, cutup or pureed
Vegetables	Any fresh, frozen or tinned vegetable product, including butternut/potatoes/beetroot/peas/maize
Bread	All types of breads
Grains and potato	All whole and refined grains such as maize, wheat (flour), rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, porridges and tortillas, wraps, potato, two-minute noodles, instant couscous
Snacks	High-energy baked goods, ready-to-make/ingredients, frozen treats, milk-based desserts, sweets, candy and sweet toppings with a sweet or salty taste. These include chocolates, chips, biscuits, donuts, cookies and others, nuts, peanuts, energy bars, crackers, muffins, sugar (all types), honey, syrup, ice cream, trail mixes, droewors ice cream, sugared dried fruit
Sugar-sweetened beverages	All cool drinks or soft drink beverages with sugar, high fructose maize syrup, or fruit-juice concentrate added, or natural with high calorie: soft drinks/sodas, flavoured juice drinks, non-alcoholic wine, flavoured water with sugar, sports drinks, sweetened tea. Coffee drinks, energy drinks and fruit juice blends, cordials, chocolate milk/sweetened milk, including fruit nectar and all fruit juices
Meat	All meat types: red meat (beef, lamb, goat), poultry (chicken and turkey) and pork, whether fresh, frozen, smoked or dried – including boerewors or sausage, tripe, organ meats)
Dairy products	All type of food produced from milk such as yogurt, cheese and butter whether low or high in fats, fresh, frozen, canned or processed and dairy alternatives, for example, soya milk – if fortified
Processed protein	Cold cuts, viennas, tinned meats, meat pies, chicken nuggets, samosas, breaded fish fingers, bacon, etc.
Fish	All fish types and other seafood such as shrimps or shellfish, whether fresh, canned, frozen or dried
Eggs	All types of eggs : farm fresh, free range, etc.
Oils, spreads and dressings	All types of margarine (brick and tub), cooking oils, creams, mayonnaise, salad dressings, etc.
Spices and condiments	Salt and pepper, spices, tomato sauce, mustard, curry paste, etc.
Dry legumes	Dried beans, split peas, lentils, chickpeas broad beans, soya beans, kidney beans, canned kidney beans, haricot, lentils, chickpeas, lima beans and others
Tea and coffee	All tea and coffee types
Alcohol	Any fermented liquor, such as wine, beer or distilled spirits
Water	Bottled spring and distilled water
Non-food items	Purchased items that are not edible for human consumption
Uncategorised item	Items that are not in the categorised items, for example, artificially sweetened cordial, specialised dietary foods, almond milk, packet of soups, salt, baby food, etc.