Making the right choices in the super market

Personaly, I am not a Fan of Calorie counting, but I am a fan of mindful eating. I find that knowledge is power. knowing approximately how many calories you burn in a day For your age group, appoximately how many calories are in the food you eat, and what health benefits you gain from the food you eat gives you the knowledge to make better choices.

Get in the kNow

Think you know about how many calories you take in in a day? Try a food journal for 4 days (2 week days and 2 weekend days) and see how it adds up. This is the start to mindful eating, not counting calories, but being more aware.

Don’t like what the scale says?

What you put in your mouth really does effect how you maintain or lose weight, look in the mirror, and feel about yourself.

HelPful Tips:

  • Having support at home to make healthy choices when shopping and cooking is very helpful

  • Spend one afternoon (I prefer Sunday) to prepare your lunches, cut your veggies and pack snacks for the week

  • Planning a head is key: Have snack sized portions you can throw in your purse for those times hunger hits rather than stopping at the gas station for chips

  • Know your triggers for unhealthy eating and plan for them

  • Have one cheat meal a week so that you don’t feel deprived

Reading labels 101

Did you know that food labels are allowed to be 20% inaccurate by the FDA, so that means you may be consuming 120 calories when the label says 100. I don’t know about you, but it looks better when you advertise less calories, so you can bet that happens a lot.

1) Serving size: The label presents serving sizes as the amount most people consume in a sitting. All nutrition facts are based on this amount, if you eat more multiply by amount of servings

2) Number of calories per serving

3) Total Fat is calorie dense, and if consumed in large portions can increase the risk of weight problems.

4) Saturated fat is part of the total fat in a food. It is listed separately because it plays an important role in raising blood cholesterol and risk of heart disease. Eat less than 10% of total calories from saturated fat.

5) Trans-fats work a lot like saturated fat, except it is worse. These fats start out as a liquid unsaturated fat, but then food manufacturers add some hydrogen to it, turning it into a solid to increase the shelf life. In the body the tans-fat damages blood vessels and contributes to increased cholesterol and heart disease. Consume as little trans fats as possible.

6) Many foods high in cholesterol are also high in saturated fat, which can contribute to health problems.

7) We often refer to sodium as 'salt', which can raise your blood pressure. Keep your sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg each day.

8) Total Carbohydrates are in foods like bread, potatoes, fruit and vegetables, as well as processed food. Carbohydrates are further broken down into dietary fibers and sugars. It's best to often consume foods high in fiber and food with less sugar in them.

9) There are 2 types of fiber, *soluble and ** insoluble. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and peas are all good sources.

10) Too much sugar contributes to weight gain and increase risk of diseases like diabetes and fatty liver disease. It is recommended to consume no more than 10% of total calories from added sugar, or a total of 50 grams per day based on a 2,000-calorie eating plan.

11) Adults should consume 10 - 35% of total calories from protein.

12) Your goal here is 100% of each vitamin in a given day, but don’t count on one or two foods to do it all. Let a combination of foods add up to a winning score.

*Soluble Fiber that is easily dissolved in water and is broken down into a gel like substance in the colon. Can reduce your body's ability to absorb fat, lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels, may reduce risk of heart disease, and increases healthy gut bacteria, which can lower inflammation in the body.

**Insoluble Fiber Does not dissolve in water and is left intact as food moves through the gastrointestinal tract. Appears to help food move more quickly through the stomach and intestines with less strain. It also helps support insulin sensitivity.

I am not a licensed dietician and any dietary information provided on this website is meant to help aid in making healthy food choices and not intended to treat or diagnose any disease. For further nutrition information please contact a registered dietician or nutritionist.