Eat This, Not That: Supermarket Edition

PorrazzaNutrition

There are thousands of options when you go to the grocery store. Just peak down the cereal aisle and you will see at least 50 different options. Which ones are the healthiest?! Welcome to Eat This, Not That Supermarket Edition!

Cereals
Eat This: Kashi GOLEAN
140 calories, 1g fat, 0g saturated fat, 6g sugar, 10g fiber
Not That: Post Banana Nut Crunch
240 calories, 6g fat, .5g saturated fat, 12g sugar, 4g fiber
-Two key things to look for on the cereal label are high fiber and low sugar.

Yogurt
Eat This: Dannon Light and Fit Strawberry Yogurt
60 calories, 0g fat, 90mg sodium, 7g sugar
Not That: Dannon Fruit on the Bottom Strawberry Banana
150 calories, 1.5g fat, 1g saturated fat, 95mg sodium, 26g sugar

-Two key things to look for in yogurt are low sodium and sugar and high protein.

Breakfast Meats
Eat This: Banquet Brown'N Serve Turkey Sausage
110 calories, 7g fat, 2g saturated fat, 380mg sodium
Not That: Banquet Brown'N Serve Original Links
200 calories, 18g fat, 6g saturated fat, 490mg sodium

-Two key things to look for with breakfast meats are low saturated fat and sodium.

Peanut Butters
Eat This: Simply Jif
Not That: Skippy Creamy
-Both have similar amounts of calories and fat; however, the natural peanut butters don't have added sugars.

Soups
Eat This: Campbell's Healthy Request Tomato Soup
90 calories, 1.5g fat, .5g saturated fat, 400mg sodium
Not That: Campbell's Tomato Bisque Soup
130 calories, 3.5g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 880mg sodium
-Two key things to look for in soups are low sodium and saturated fat.

Nuts
Eat This: Raw Pistachios or Whole Natural Almonds
-Pistachios provide phytosterols that decrease bad cholesterol
-1 oz. almonds provides half of the Vitamin E you need in a day
Not That: Planter's Dry Roasted Peanuts
-Peanuts are the lowest nut in nutritional value with minimal antioxidants.

-Don't worry about the fat content for nuts. Most of this will (should) come from the monounsaturated fatty acids.

Frozen Entrees
Eat This: Healthy Choice Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
300 calories, 5g fat, 2g saturated fat, 430mg sodium
Not That: Maria Calendar's Fettucine with Chicken and Broccoli
630 calories, 37g fat, 15g saturated fat, 900mg sodium
-Two key things to look for with frozen entrees are low sodium and saturated fat.

Cheese
Eat This: Athenos Traditional Feta
80 calories, 6g fat, 3.5g saturated fat, 330mg sodium
Not That: Treasure Cove Blue Cheese
100 calories, 8g fat, 5g saturated fat, 380mg sodium

-Two key things to look for with cheese are low saturated fat and sodium.


When reading a food label, remember to look at the protein, fat, fiber, salt, and carbohydrate content. Also, sugar should not be one of the first 4 ingredients listed on a food label.

As a final note, try to shop the outside perimeters of the grocery store as much as possible (that is where all the healthy foods are)!


Zinczenko D. Eat this not that. New York, NY. 2008.

yarwell

are you afraid of fat ?

marciebrian

what a great post! great idea to share trade offs. I watch those guys from the Men's Magazine every time I can

AJ_G

are you afraid of fat ?

Exactly! What's wrong with fat? Most people actually don't eat enough fat every day. Also, the reason to eat natural PB and not regular is because of the hydrogenated oil, not the added sugar. There's nothing wrong with added sugar, or fat. Foods are not unhealthy, too much food is unhealthy...