Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hello and welcome to HealthiNation, I’m Sheila Kelly – a registered dietitian.
Shopping for fresh foods, like fruits and veggies, or even meat and fish is pretty easy.
But picking the right packaged foods can be tough. You’ll need to look at the labels
and know how to read them… and no, you won’t need a decoder ring. Come on, let’s take
a look at some examples.”
The frozen food section can be either a life-saver or a disaster. The most important thing here
is to read labels.
Let’s look at some common frozen foods….
For the most part, frozen dinners are extremely high in fat, calories and sodium… but there
are some smart choices.
Pizza is pretty popular choice, but it’s important to read the label for fat content,
calories and serving size… what you think is a single serving may actually be three.
And steer clear of pizzas with extra cheese or meat.
Let’s look at frozen veggies… the good news is that plain, frozen vegetables are
just as nutritious as the fresh vegetables we picked up a couple of stops ago… just
make sure you’re not choosing packages with veggies that have glazed and butter sauces.
Frozen fruit, like the vegetables, can also be a great time-saver and are perfect for
baking or smoothies.
Now, for everyone’s favorite frozen item – ice cream… instead of the full-fat ice
cream, choose low-fat or fat free alternatives. Make sure to watch the portion size because
it’s always half a cup. A good option to control the portion size is to buy low-fat
frozen bars.
Last stop – the prepackaged or boxed items.
The general rule is to go whole wheat. Whole wheat pasta and grains like bulgar wheat are
rich and filling and have a lot of heart-healthy fiber. You should also try brown rice, instead
of white, and barley, a whole grain, is a great addition to soups and salads.
Now, what about snacks… a lot of snacks are loaded with fat, calories and sodium and
they can blow your fat and calorie budget in less than one serving
First, I usually recommend rice cakes. They can satisfy the craving for something salty
or sweet. And popcorn is also a good choice… stick with the kind that’s low fat and doesn’t
have a lot of butter topping. Some other low fat choices are pretzels, baked
chips or reduced fat potato chips. Now, one final tip about an important food
choice while you’re in these inside aisles…
A lot of cereals contain lots of fat and sugar and are therefore high in calories. So, you
should look at the labels to pick ones that have at least 5 grams of fiber per serving
and are low in fat and sugar. Cereals with whole grains – whether hot or cold – are
going to be the best options.
Well, it looks like we’ve made it through the store and stocked up on a bunch of healthy,
nutritious foods to get through the week. Don’t forget to read the labels and the
list of ingredients to help guide you in making smart choices.
Thanks for being a part of HealthiNation. Be sure to watch other segments and get talking
about your health.