Read Labels Carefully

When I speak to clients about healthy eating, I always recommend eating real, whole, unprocessed foods as close to their natural state as possible. However, let's be real....it isn't always easy to do this. SO....don't be fooled by advertising claiming to be high in whole grains or FAT FREE. Get into a good habit of reading labels on the foods you are ready to buy. While they may have messages such as Low Fat or Reduced Calorie written all over them, when you read the ingredient statement and label more closely, you may be unpleasantly surprised. Look for hidden sugars, preservatives, and saturated "bad" fats.

Here are some of the things to look for when looking at specific labels:

Food Product Distinguishing Factor What to choose
Cereals Fiber >4 g preserving (30 g)
  Fat <3g fat
  Sodium <360mg sodium
  Sugar <11g sugar
Breads Fiber >2 g per slice
Pasta Fiber >4 g per serving
Soup Fiber 2-5 g per serving
  Fat <5 g per serving
  Sodium <500 mg per serving
Frozen dinners (350 cal) Fiber >5 g per meal
  Fat <15 g per meal
  Sodium <600 mg per meal
Snack Foods Fiber >2 g per serving
  Fat <5 g per serving
  Trans fat 0 g (no hydrogenated oil)
Juice Sugar Fruit Juice (not drink)

So how do you spend as little time in the grocery store as possible?

  1. Eat real, whole, unprocessed foods most often.
  2. Food labels for most products are available online. For example....if you are going to buy cereal or snack bars, search for your healthiest options in advance.
  3. Bring a list. This will not only save you money but will help you resist picking up less healthful choices.