How to Make Healthy Choices at the Supermarket

To lose weight you need to reduce your calorie intake, which means selecting foods that are low in fat and sugar. Here’s a quick guide to making healthy choices at the supermarket to save you time sifting through the shelves.

The trick is to locate the product’s food label, find its nutrition information panel and look for the ‘per 100g’ column. Good choices are foods that contain the following amounts of fat and sugar:

Fat Content

Less than:
Cereals – 8g/100g
Biscuits – 5g/100g
Cheese – 15g/100g
Milk and yoghurt – 2g/100g
Mayonnaise and sauces – 3g/100g
Spreads such as cream cheese – 10g/100g
Meat products – 8g/100g
Frozen/packaged foods – 5g/100g

Sugar Content

Less than:
Cereals and biscuits – 5g/100g

School's Back! Lunch Box Ideas

Children need to eat a variety of foods everyday to stay healthy and help them concentrate and learn at school. However, packing a lunch box and trying to keep it delicious, healthy and interesting can be quite a task for many of us - but it doesn’t have to be if you follow a few simple steps:

A lunch box should always include:

• Fruit (fresh is best, but tinned and dried are also suitable)
• Vegetables or salad ingredients
• A meat or protein food such as lean meat, hardboiled egg, fish or nuts
• Dairy foods such as a cheese slice or stick, milk or yoghurt
• Starchy food such as high fibre bread rolls, pita or flat bread, fruit bread or grain crackers
• Water (frozen water can be used as a freezer brick to keep foods cold)

Suggestions for lunch box meals and snacks include:

• Cold pasta spirals mixed with salad vegetables and lean meat e.g. ham, pastrami 
• Rice with vegetables mixed in it with lean meat e.g. ham, pastrami
• Mini pizza with cheese and pineapple
• Avocado and lemon with salad on a wholemeal wrap
• Bagel with vegemite and low fat cheese
• Corn or rice cakes with peanut butter
• Grainy crackers with slices of cheese
• Plain popcorn as a snack
• Yoghurt, low fat milk or low fat custard (freeze overnight to ensure it stays cool)
• Small packets of dried fruit and nuts as snacks
• Include extra celery and carrot sticks
• Fruit

Foods should be simple and easy to prepare, ready to eat and appetising after several hours in the lunch box. Keeping food stored in an insulated lunch box or one with a freezer pack will keep food fresher for longer - particularly important for those hot summer days.

As well as keeping lunch simple, try to encourage children to help choose and prepare their own lunch. Praise children when they choose healthy foods for their lunch box. They may even want to have a Masterchef lunch box competition between siblings for some fun and variety.

Most importantly - don’t forget your own lunch! Set a good example as children learn from their parents more than you may think therefore prepare your lunch and snacks while the children are doing theirs. Make it a healthy family approach for all to benefit from.

How to Shop for Healthy Snacks

A recent study on Australian children has found that children and adolescents consume more energy from low nutrient, calorie-dense foods than any other age-group, with the average child receiving 3 unhealthy snacks in their lunch box each day.

Nutrition experts recommend that parents should pack just one packaged snack each day in their lunch box. It is also recommended that this snack is either a wholegrain snack (such as a muesli bar) or dairy-based (such as yoghurt) or a fruit based snack.

Tips for best packed snacks:

• Energy: Choose a snack with 600kJ or less
• Sugar: Some sugars occur naturally in foods such as milk or fruit. To check for any ‘added’ sugar, check the ingredients list. If sugar is one of the first two ingredients listed, it is likely to be high in sugar
• Fat: It is more important to look for the TYPE of fat. Look for snacks that have less than 2g of saturated fat per serve
• Sodium (Salt): Check the nutrition label for less than 100mg of salt per serve.

Healthy Snack Ideas (Meets at least 3 of the above criteria)

The following snacks are available at most supermarkets and are suitable for children and adults.

Wholegrain snacks

• Carman’s muesli bar ‘bites’ or ‘rounds’ (346kJ)
• Uncle Tobys muesli bars (average 560kJ)
• Ski D’lite apple and pear bars (363kJ)
• Nestle milo cereal bar (334kJ)
• Real McCoy air popped corn (439kJ)
• A row of rice crackers (415kJ)
• Small tin of baked beans – no added salt (460kJ)
• Wholegrain crackers or vegetable sticks with salsa, hummus, low fat tzatziki or natural yoghurt

Dairy based snacks

• 100g tub of Vaalia (French Vanilla 425kJ) or Ski D’lite yoghurt (Vanilla crème 379kJ)
• Pauls The Wiggles Yoghurt with Real Fruit Strawberry (369kJ)
• Yoplait Go-Gurt Yoghurt Tubes Strawberry (307kJ)
• Aunty Betty’s creamed rice (417kJ)
• Reduced fat cheese sticks or cubes

Fruit based snacks

• Whole fresh fruit (250-350kJ)
• Coles Farmland or Goulburn Valley or Sweet Valley Two Fruits in Juice (330kJ)
• Golden Circle or SPC Fruit Salad (335kJ)
• Golden circle Splurtz Apple and Strawberry Fruit Puree (283kJ)
• SPC fruit snacks two fruits in strawberry jelly (376kJ)

GI Find It Hard to Concentrate Lately

The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking given to a carbohydrate food on a scale of 0 to 100 to represent how quickly it is broken down to its simplest form, sugar, and absorbed into your blood stream.

The longer it takes for the body to break down the carbohydrate, the slower the sugar is released into the blood stream, and the longer your energy levels can be sustained.

Foods that are high GI are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed into the blood stream and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, and have proven benefits for health.

Low GI diets have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2). They also have benefits for weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger.

The glycemic effect of foods depends on a number of factors:

• The type of starch, physical entrapment of the starch molecules within the food
• Fat and protein content of the food and organic acids or their salts in the meal.
• Presence of fat or soluble dietary fibre can slow the gastric emptying rate, thus lowering the GI.

Large amounts of fat in foods tends to slow the rate of stomach emptying and therefore the rate at which foods are digested. The GI value of potato chips or french fries for example is lower than that of baked potatoes, yet the saturated fat in these foods will contribute to a much increased risk of heart disease. So it is therefore important to look at the type of fat in foods as well as GI values.

The glycemic index is important for weight maintenance due to the impact is has on your hunger levels through blood sugar control. As low GI foods maintain low blood sugar levels, you can easily control your hunger levels.

Low GI carbohydrate foods are often more nutritious as they can be higher in fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Hunger Level Scale – Is It Hunger or Habit?

It is important that you learn to distinguish between physical hunger and the psychological inclination to eat. Physical hunger is generally accompanied by symptoms such as abdominal pain or discomfort, dizziness, light headedness, headaches or a feeling of emptiness in your stomach. Your body needs nutrition every 3-4 hours, hence some of these symptoms should occur 3-4 hours after your last meal. Physical hunger is a useful and appropriate eating cue.

Psychological inclination to eat is when you are influenced to eat or drink in the absence of physical hunger. It can stem from cues such as social situations, your surrounding environment or from within you. An example of psychological inclination to eat is craving chocolate because you were given a box and you know that it is in the pantry. Your body does not actually need the specific nutrients in chocolate – it cannot tell you what type of nutrition it needs; it can only exhibit general physical symptoms when it needs nutrients. This craving is purely psychological.

It is important that you learn to distinguish between physical hunger and the psychological inclination to eat. The following scale can help you determine your level of physiological hunger, start and stop eating at an appropriate time and differentiate between physiological hunger and psychological inclination to eat:

Using the Scale

The best way to use the scale is to follow three steps:

1. Before eating, rate your level of hunger using the scale
2. Five minutes after you have started eating, rate your level of hunger again
3. Rate your hunger when you have finished eating.

Try using this scale the next time you eat a meal. People who are successful at weight loss generally wait until they are at a rating of 2 or 3 before they eat, and then they only eat to a rating of 6. 

Can I afford to eat fruit and vegetables and stay healthy?

With the impact of natural disasters in Australia over the last year, it has certainly taken its toll in hiking up the price of food and our fruit and vegetables, the most commonly talked about being our beloved banana! So, are fruit and vegetables really more expensive than processed foods and how can we still stay healthy and manage our budget to keep on track? Keep reading on to find out how to stay healthy by filling up on top-quality energy from wholesome foods such as fruit and vegetables and avoid empty poor quality nutrition from overly processed foods.

Even though fruit and vegetable prices may have slightly increased recently, when you compare prices per kilogram you will find highly processed, packaged and advertised foods are still more expensive and less healthy than fruit and vegetables. A good way to compare products is to check the price per kilogram of the food you buy. A lot of supermarkets are now displaying 'unit pricing' in the form of price per kilogram or price per 100g. So you can use this to compare different brands of the same product as well as different foods that serve the same purpose. It is obvious to compare the cheapest per weight of a snack food, but how about comparing the cost to something healthier. An example (*taken from ‘The Real Cost of Healthy Food’ report card visit www.gofor2and5.com.au, please note $ can vary in local areas) compares a rolled up fruit bar at $25.80 per kilo to an average of $4.30 per kilo of apples, or another example is potato chips at $19.90 per kilo compared to popcorn kernels at only $3.00 per kilo.

Really, kilo for kilo there’s nothing cheaper than fruit and vegetables, but sometimes we need some help to shop smart and save dollars along the way!

Some top tips to help keep to budget and serve up yummy healthy food!

1. PLAN (yes we have said it before and here we go again!)

Please take the time to plan your weekly menu (take 5 small minutes now, it doesn’t take long) and then write a shopping list…this is a sure way to save both time and money.  If you know what you are going to cook over a week, it is much easier to buy everything you need at the grocery store during one big shop.  Always being prepared will help to avoid the last minute dashes to the corner store where the prices are usually far higher than at the supermarket or at your local fruit and vegetable market.

2. SHOP SMART

Spend a little bit of time looking through supermarket brochures and the Internet to find the bargains and if you can buy cheaper in bulk and freeze! Sometimes we can find fruits and vegetables really cheap or close to ‘best before’ date, so why not buy more of them and freeze them (you can cook them e.g. apples) and put them in individual containers to freeze and use later in baking or making smoothies.

Don’t forget to keep the pantry essentials such as rice, pasta, rolled oats, tinned fish, tomatoes and legumes (e.g. lentils, chickpeas) stocked up as they are great for bulking up meals and can be stored a long time.

Remember, try not to shop when you are hungry to avoid the impulse buy and if you cannot resist then maybe consider online food shopping and get them delivered to the door.

3. BUY IN SEASON

Aim to only buy seasonal fruit and vegetables, as they are generally fresher and more affordable.  There is good reason why grapes are more expensive in winter as they are usually not local but imported and hence come with a hefty price per kilo. If you are not sure what is in season, often food and cooking magazines will have an article on “what’s in season this month” or why not search the Internet. Try to get to your local weekend produce markets whenever possible.  Grab a bargain and again if you have the freezer space buy in bulk and freeze or go later in the day when sellers are trying to clear their stock.

4. BUY LOCAL

Please try and buy local (via markets, independent greengrocers) when you can, not only may it be cheaper but hopefully it is supporting the local farmers. Remember to read in supermarkets and fruit and vegetable shops where the produce is coming from, this can save on food miles and save you dollars. So why not try to buy at markets or independent greengrocers, farmers markets or there are now a few options for home delivered fruit and vegetable produce sourced from local farmers.

5. COOK SMART

So, once you have shopped well and loaded your fridge with fruit and vegetables – now what!

Try to search magazines, the Internet and look for recipes that show a cost per serve and recipes that are loaded with vegetables or fruit. If you are home late and about to pick up the phone to order takeaway, stop and remember there are loads of options of meals that you can make in large amounts and portion out into containers from relatively cheap ingredients e.g. curries, stir-fry’s, pastas. Try a cook up over the weekend and freeze meals for the week.

Rice, pasta, potatoes and fibre-rich legumes (e.g. lentils and cannellini beans) are a nutritious base to meals and can extend dishes such as soups and casseroles.  Try to reduce the portions of more expensive protein sources (meat, fish, chicken) and bulk up the meals with vegetable options.

6. USE UP LEFTOVERS

Make sure you have lots of good containers to store leftovers and use them for lunch the next day or freeze them (remember do not re-freeze if you have already defrosted the meal) for a quick frozen dinner during the week.

Make vegetable stock with any vegetables that are not looking so fresh or anything you know you won’t be able to use before it expires. You can make the stock into a soup or freeze it for risotto or a base for stews later on or you can stew up fruit for a crumble too.

7. FROZEN OR CAN?
Frozen vegetables are excellent quality and can be cheaper and mean you always have some vegetables on hand. 
Also frozen fruit like berries are great for baking, smoothies, cereal, or just a snack on its own and can often be found on special. ‘Cans’ too can be healthy and very convenient to have on hand and are just as healthy as fresh. Make sure you read the label and choose no-added-sugar fruit varieties and no-added-salt vegetables.

8. WHY NOT GROW YOUR OWN?
Got a garden? Great! If not why not try to grow some yourself? Growing your own vegetables is a great way to save money. Even if you cannot manage a vast garden with corn, lettuce, carrots, beans, strawberries and so forth, most people can manage to grow a few herbs in a pot and that can save a lot of money and waste and adds fabulous flavour to dishes!

How to be a Food Label Detective – Make informed decisions about what you eat!

Lite, All Natural, 93% Fat Free, these are just some of the common nutritional claims made by food manufacturers that are meant to be eye-catching and entice you to select their product over another variety.

Investigation Step 1: Always proceed with caution as nutritional claims can be misleading and it is important to read the whole label.

• Lite/Light – Does not always refer to fat content and can simply be a description of the colour, taste or texture.
• All Natural – Usually this product has no added colourings, flavourings or preservatives. Don’t assume something natural is always healthy. For example, cream is all natural but only healthy in moderation.
• 93% Fat Free – It is still 7% fat! Depending on the type of food and how much you eat it may or may not be a good choice.
• Reduced Fat– Indicates the fat content is 25% less than the original product though it may still be a high fat product. Remember that a ‘low fat’ product must have less than 3g fat per 100g and ‘fat free’ product must have less than 0.15g fat per 100g.
• Cholesterol Free – Does not mean the product is low in fat.
  
  

Investigation Step 2: Collect quality nutritional evidence from the Nutrition Information Panel. 

• Energy – First look at the total energy and the amount of fat in the food. If the energy is high whilst the fat content is low, you can assume the majority of the energy would be coming from carbohydrate or sugar.
• Carbohydrate – Products with less than 10g of sugar per 100g are a good choice. If the product contains fruit (e.g. Yoghurt) allow for 25g of sugar per 100g.
• Fat – Products with less than 10g per 100g but consider the product type and serving size. Minimal saturated and trans fats are the most desirable.
• Fibre – Select high fibre products (greater than 10g per 100g).
• Salt – Try select ‘low/reduced salt’ products with less than 120mg of salt per 100g.

Remember: Use the ‘per 100g’ section of the nutrition panel to compare calories and fat between products. Check that the serving size stated is the same as yours and adjust accordingly (e.g. If a serving size of yoghurt is 100g, you may need to double it!)

Investigation Step 3: Interrogate the ingredients list, these are always listed from greatest to smallest by how much they weigh. Also, be wary of disguised names for sugar and fat including:

• Sugar – Sucrose, maltose extract, high fructose corn syrup
• Fat – Milk solids, shortening, vegetable oil

Now use your detective skills to compare products to find the guilty food criminals - the less desirable products. Try to select a product that contains less fat, sugar and overall energy and you can reduce your overall calorie intake without eating smaller portions!

Modifying Recipes for Healthier Eating

To modify recipes to reduce the fat content of dishes that you already cook, you can do three things:

1.  Substitute high fat, high calorie ingredients with low fat, low calorie ingredients

2.  Reduce the quantities of higher fat ingredients in your recipes

3.  Eliminate any high fat ingredients entirely

1. Substitute

Substitute high fat, high calorie ingredients with low fat, low calorie ingredients. In the table are listed some common ingredients that you can substitute with:

The following low fat and low energy ingredients have long shelf lives, so you can keep them in your pantry or fridge to substitute at short notice:

2. Reduce

If a high fat or high energy ingredient cannot be substituted, try using a little less of it. For example, in baked products you should be able to reduce the amount of fat by a quarter to a third without changing the final product too drastically. Remember that if you remove moisture, you need to replace it. For example, to make up for less oil, you may be able to add a little more water or low fat milk.

3. Eliminate

If a high fat or high energy ingredient is not strictly necessary (i.e. it is used for presentation or flavour), you can remove it. For example, you can omit nuts, avocado or olives from salads and bacon from pasta sauce.

Experiment

To lower the fat content of your recipes requires some experimenting.  This can also add variety to your recipes.   Here are some ideas:

• Fat helps to add flavour to food, so reducing fat may reduce the flavour in some recipes.  Remember, fat is just one flavour.  So add herbs and spices, sauces such as chilli, oyster, fish, include a small amount of wine or stock to incorporate new flavours.
• In baking, fat can add texture, flavour and moisture.  Start out by choosing low fat milk, use egg whites and use soft cheeses such as ricotta.  If you are reducing the amount of oil in baking, it is important to try and keep the amount of liquid the same, so top up with low fat milk or fruit juice.
• Fat being used as a thickener can be replaced by adding a small amount of cornflour dissolved in cold water to sauces, pie fillings and casseroles.  Gelatine is also a great way to add texture to desserts and it doesn’t require cooking. 

Low fat cooking methods can include baking, braising, grilling, steaming, dry roasting, stir frying and microwaving.  Microwaving is a great way of cooking without fat, as moisture is easily retained. It also prevents pre meal snacking by reducing cooking time, aromas and the opportunity to sample the food. Tips for microwave cooking include:

• Use a slightly vented lid or pierced plastic wrap to maximise heat and moisture retention.
• Do not allow any plastic wrap to touch your food during cooking.
• If you want to retain more moisture, place a dampened paper towel on top of your food.
• To retain heat but reduce moisture, place waxed paper on top of your food.
• If cooking meats, use a double layered pan so that the fat drips to the pan below.

Additional tips for low fat cooking methods include:

• When baking foods, use a rack or rotisserie; or wrap the food in foil.
• Sauté or brown foods such as onions in a non stick pan with juice, stock or water.
• Instead of frying, use a non stick frying pan, or use stock or a cooking spray.
• With casseroles and stews, trim fat before cooking and cool once cooked and skim any additional fat off the surface.
• When cooking vegetables, try steaming, microwaving, dry roasting, stir frying.

The following items are also handy tools to have in your kitchen to assist with low fat cooking. 

• Non stick cookware and baking pans
• Grillet pan or griller
• Food processor or blender
• Steamer
• Storage containers suitable for both the freezer and the microwave
• Garlic press
• A good set of sharp knives.