Just when you thought you were eating well…
I cringe when I talk to folks who are so proud of how healthily they’ve been eating. They begin to expound on what they feel are wholesome choices, and it’s all I can do to keep my jaw from dropping.
How about low-fat choices? I’ll tell you this: Low fat sure is one terrific marketing ploy. You want to lose a few pounds, so you figure you’ll stick with lower-fat food items. You load your grocery cart with low-fat frozen meals, low-fat snacks, and low-fat dairy products—and you’ve just put a crimp in your weight-loss plan.
Why?
When food manufacturers take something out, they tend to always put something back in its place. For low-fat foods, it’s almost guaranteed that the “something” will be sugar. The last thing anyone needs is extra sugar—especially when you’re aiming for good health!
Cereals are another area where you can really step in it. You’re looking at this incredibly long, stuffed-to-the-gills aisle, and you reach for something like granola, bran flakes, or shredded wheat. Again, probably not the best choices due to the high sugar content. What you think is the healthier choice—again, thanks to a heaping dose of effective marketing—may really be a health nightmare.
And the bread aisle? Not much better. You’re probably wondering how you can go wrong with a slice of bread! It depends on what you choose. What you take for granted as being healthier—because the label says something like “multi-grained goodness”—is usually a goodness-wannabe. Just because it says “multi-grained” does not mean it’s healthy—for some reason, such products generally have less fiber! Aim for whole-grain breads.
So what’s a health-conscious shopper to do in the grocery store? You’re tired, you’re hungry—you even have your list with you! My best recommendation for you is to read all that’s said on the labels. You’ll want to review items such as the fat grams, the sodium content, the amount of sugar, and whether or not the product has any fiber content.
For my money, if I want a healthy grain product in the form of cereal or bread—it had better pack a lot of fiber grams. That’s how I know the manufacturer didn’t strip every shred of nutrient content out of the product before putting it in some visually appealing packaging with clever words all over the outside.
It’ll take a little extra time to get used to shopping this way, but soon you’ll be a pro at reading those labels and making wise—and healthy—choices. Then you’ll really be able to claim bragging rights to a healthier lifestyle. And if you want to eat really healthy, focus mainly on fresh, locally grown whole foods—the stuff without the labels.
