Food Shopping Tips for the Health-Conscious

Lisa Franchi December 05, 2013

Healthy eating starts with healthy grocery shopping. But how do you know which of those canned or packed foods are healthier than the others? Here are some pointers that you should take into consideration before heading out to the grocery.

Items with fewer ingredients are better. When shopping for canned or packed food items, look for those that have shorter ingredient lists. Another thing – if you find some ingredients that are hard to pronounce, put it back on the shelf and look for a simpler version of that food. It’s most likely that it contains chemicals and additives that are not good for your health.

Ignore the marketing hypes. Most food products have large statements on their packaging claiming they have “zero” trans fats, “great for dieters”, “low-fat”, and so on. Don’t believe on these hypes just yet. Go straight to “Nutrition Facts”. That’s where you get the truth.

Be wary of the serving size. A lot of “Nutrition Fact” labels are designed to make you think that you are consuming fewer calories. But you need to check the "serving size" and "servings per container" lines. For instance, the label on a snack bar may say it has 120 calories per serving but then below it says 2 servings per container. That means you will actually get 240 calories in one sitting.

Be cautious about ‘organic’ labelling. There’s considerable confusion about the use of ‘organic’ in food labels. This label is earned through a certification process. This means that the manufacturer has complied with the strict set of rules and procedures about the processing and sales of organic products. Now, some companies use the label ‘natural’ to make people think that they are choosing products that are organic. Here’s the thing, there’s no single set of requirements for products claiming to be natural, but the information stated on the label have to be accurate. Always read the details on the product packaging.

Get the "whole" story.

You think you’re choosing healthy by picking that “wheat bread” over the plain white bread. Think again. What you really want is "whole wheat" or "whole grain" bread. This holds true with other products claiming they are made from healthy grains.

Don’t get soaked in watery foods. Foods, especially canned goods, that lists water first on the ingredient list is an indication that there’s a long list of additives to follow. You will find a huge quantity of water in many salad dressings. But since oil and water don’t mix, you can conclude that a bunch of additives have been put there to hold everything together.

Be cautious about the "no cholesterol" claims. Cholesterol is a fat that occurs only in animal products, such as meat, dairy products, eggs, fish, butter, and so on. So don’t be surprised and think that that cereal box you are holding is healthy because it says “No cholesterol”. It’s another marketing strategy. Food companies know that most people don’t know or forgot that plant-derived products don’t really have cholesterol. So the next time you see the claim, just say “Duh!”

And here’s the last but really worth-taking advice – don’t shop on an empty stomach. When you’re truly hungry, almost everything is appetising, inviting impulsive buying. Happy healthy shopping!