Going to the supermarket and choosing foods that are good for you can be tricky. 

Food packaging have claims of being “healthy” and “low fat” making you believe you are making wise choices but are you really getting the goodness you think you’re getting?

There are some very simple rules to follow when eating healthier, like…

• Buy Fruit & vegetable.
• Buy lean meats e.g. Chicken, Turkey, low fat Beef mince and lean steak.
• Foods that are wholemeal. Rice, pasta, pulses and lentils. 
• Dairy products like Yoghurt and a small amount of cheese.
• When going shopping make sure you have eaten before so you are not tempted with high sugar snacks.
• Keep hydrated. 
• Get good sleep. 

Once you have followed these simple rules to eating healthier, get down those supermarket isles and read the packaging. 

In an ideal World you would avoid most foods that require labels that have to be analysed. 

Foods such as,

• Sauces
• Cereals
• Snacks
• Ready Meals

These are not the best types of food to eat but they are a convenience for our busy lives. So if we must use these products then at least we should be able to make a calculated decision on which product is best for our bodies.

Here are 10 Simple Tips on Reading Food Packaging Labels. 

1. Never believe the claims on the box, (For example low fat can often mean more sugar.  If the sugar consumed is not burned off it will turn into fat).
2. Always read the nutritional facts and ingredients on the packet, for example if you cannot understand the majority of the ingredients on the packet – there is a good chance that it has lots of manufactured chemicals in and is processed)
3. Check the serving size (If it serves 4 people and is 1000 kcals then that would be 250kcal per serving per person),
4. Check serving per pack (for example calories may look low but if it serves 2 people and you consume it all, then you are eating double the calories).
5. Check calories per serving.
6. Check calories from fat. (for example if the food has 300 kcal in total and 200kcal of those 300 are from fat, the food will be nutritionally dense and unhealthy).
7. Check salt and take note of the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance).
8. Check fats RDA.
9. Check sugars RDA.
10. Make sure that grains and whole grains are included and not processed.

If this has been a help to you, please share this advice with others so we can all be as healthy as possible.