The Shopping Trip

I usually do the grocery shopping, and I typically go on my way home from work.  Needless to say, we make an effort to buy healthier choices.  But I’ve noticed lately, that the most innocent items on our shopping list are becoming a real challenge.

This past Wednesday I went to the grocery store and it seemed like this would be quick and easy trip.  After all, the list was clean, organized and the items we needed were pretty basic.  Among the items on the list were tomato paste, healthy cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, instant soup, and cookies for the grandchildren for Shabbos.

Let’s go shopping!

Tomato paste:

I arrived at the store and began shopping.  When I got to the section of tomato pastes, I picked up container after container. I found that a product I used to buy, without having to check the ingredients, was now problematic.  What used to be simply crushed up tomatoes and some added salt (and I always buy the brand with the least added salt), now contains sugar and fructose.  After a long search, I did find a different brand with only the two original ingredients. I hope the store continues to carry that brand!  Beware of what you think is just plain tomato paste—it might contain things you don’t really want to consume. Some of these ingredients can be harmful to your health and can negatively affect your weight.

Cereal:

I then made my way over to the breakfast cereals.  I noticed that the front of the boxes had phrases on them such as, “A whole grain product” or “Heart-Healthy, whole-grains included” or “Low fat-low sugar.”  I always read the ingredient list on the BACK of the box. Several boxes contain harmful ingredients.   One group of cereals was indeed whole-grain and low-fat, but full of sugar. Some are whole-grain and low-sugar, but have oils.  Others that say “Only natural ingredients” were still high in calories.

Finally, I did find the cereals that I always try to stick with.  Nothing like good old Shredded Wheat—nothing but whole-wheat, no sugar and just a touch of salt.

Oatmeal:

On the other side of the aisle, I went to get the oatmeal (porridge for your Europeans).  I always buy the raw rolled oats in a can or vacuum-packed container.  But I couldn’t help notice the convenient single-serve packages.  After reading the ingredients, that include different kinds of sugars and flavor enhancers that can be detrimental to your health, this item went back on the shelf.

Yogurt:

It might be surprising, but yogurt is today’s largest delivery method of sugar. Zero sugar?  Well, artificial sweeteners are worse. Yogurt can turn into a high calorie item.  Get a plain, unsweetened yogurt (Greek if you like that texture) less than 3% fat.  You can sweeten it with fruit, healthy granola or some pure maple syrup.  It is important to remember to beware of dairy in general.  Yogurt is like all dairy, it comes with a lot of baggage.

Instant soup:

I knew this coming week was going to be hectic, so even though it is rare, I looked at the instant soups.  You just add hot water, let it sit for 4 minutes and you have a meal.  Oh no! Look what’s in this! MSG and a lot of sugar.  So then I looked at a different one and the front of the container flashed “No MSG.”  Okay, I thought, I found what I’m looking for.  Yet this one was also filled with sugar and was high in salt and other flavor enhancers.  I continued to search and found one that was imported from abroad.  No MSG, no sugars added.

Cookies:

Finally, I went to find a Shabbos treat for my grandchildren.  When looking at the cookies, I saw a whole section of healthy cookies and cakes.  What does “healthy” mean?  The packages all said “no sugar,” “made with whole-grains,” and “only natural ingredients.”  But when I looked at the ingredients, I either saw artificial sweeteners or hydrogenated oils.  Artificial sweeteners can cause health problems and trans-fats do cause heart disease. Thank goodness the United States has officially banned the use of trans-fats.  I hope that other countries will follow suit.  Beware that any hydrogenated oil becomes a trans-fat.  Avoid it at all costs.  If the kids are old enough, popcorn might be a better alternative anyway.

It’s not what it seems

Research tells us that people think foods with front-of-package health claims (“rich in omega-3,” “supports immunity,” “low-fat,” etc.) have fewer calories and are better for health. This phenomenon is known as the “health halo effect.”  It’s an area extensively studied by Brian Wansink, PhD, a marketing professor and behavioral economics expert at Cornell University in New York.  Front-of-package claims “cause us to believe the food product is much healthier than it actually is,” says Wansink. Health-claim labels like “free-range, gluten-free, pesticide-free” and “antioxidant-laden” cause consumers to think, “The more [of this food] we eat, the better.” People typically eat 44% more when there is a health claim on the front label, Wansink adds.

The practical effects of the health halo effect have been summarized by author Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, a professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University. She stated, “Health claims sell food products. People like buying products with a ‘health aura,’ no matter how poorly the health claim is supported by science. Science is irrelevant here–marketing is what’s relevant.” What’s the end result?  Consumers usually believe front-of-package claims, perceive them to be government-endorsed and use them to ignore the more evidence-based Nutrition Facts Label on the back or side of the packaging (Nestle & Ludwig 2010).

The bottom line

It is important to be an educated consumer and smart grocery shopper.  Look out for the health traps.  Food manufacturers’ bottom line is selling products and being able to manufacture them as cheaply as possible, even if it costs you your health.  According to food journalist Michael Pollan, if you can’t pronounce the ingredients or if they didn’t exist when your grandmother was alive, you might think twice about purchasing the product.

Remember:

• Sugars come in many forms and high fructose corn syrup is especially harmful to your health.
• Oils are not healthy and carry 4,000 calories per pound.
• Trans-fats are on the way out, but they are still around and they do cause heart disease.

Before you enter the supermarket, be up-to-date on what good nutrition is. Being a vigilant consumer will “add hours to your days, days to your years and years to your lives.”