You buy a healthy snack with some claims that it’s good for you at the grocery store, come home and find it has a bunch of junk in it – what’s in it for you? It can be exhausting trying to navigate the maze of procedures, rules and misleading wording. We’ve come up with some label-reading guidelines to help you fill your cupboards and stomach in a healthy and sustainable way.
In a perfect world, you could stick to 100% unprocessed foods, shop only in the produce aisle and meat section, and never touch another box, package or bottle again. Buuuut, let’s be real, a girl needs her snacks, and some nights of the week it might not be realistic to cook a meal from scratch. We got you girl! Here are the tools you need to avoid unhealthy food choices and fill your cupboards with products that nourish youandyour goals.
The trick? It’s on the label. And here’s what to look for:
Stick to five or less.
Try to look for products that have five ingredients or less. Foods that have a million different ingredients and are highly processed tend to be difficult for your body to digest. Not to mention, they have little nutritional value. Even things that are gluten-free, organic, and have a healthy name brand name contain calories through things like sugars and fats. It is best to avoid these products if you want your digestive system to work for you.
We all want easy answers to weight loss, but it takes time and practice to build healthy habits. If you’re just starting out on your nutritional journey, start here, these natural foods are great to keep in the kitchen and help significantly with bloating and detoxification.
Can you pronounce it?
If you can’t pronounce an ingredient listed on the nutrition label of what you’re about to eat, chances are it’s not made in nature and shouldn’t be entering your body. Sometimes simple ingredients have the scientific name and common name listed. Hint, hint… you can usually tell if that particular ingredient is okay based on the common name. But if you’re not sure what something is, it shouldn’t be in your closet or on your body, so you better put it back on the shelf.
Pay attention to your Daily Values (DV’s)
Daily values are percentages of ingredients and are usually based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet. Use percentages to calculate the value of nutrients in your food relative to how much you need or should have per day. Below 5% is low and should be reserved for fats, sugars and sodium. Above 20% is usually high and should be reserved for vitamins and other goodies like healthy fats and proteins.
If you’re a snacker, it can be easy to stray from these everyday values. But baby, it’s really important to make sure you know exactly what and how much you’re putting into your body. Here are my 10 favorite snack foods that I make sure to prepare and pack when I’m on the go and know they’re a healthy substitute.
Serving size
Each nutrition label has a serving size and also lists the number of servings on the package. For example, you might pick up a packet of chips that says there are 150 calories per serving. Great, right?! Not always…if the bag has 4 servings, that means the bag of chips actually has 600 calories, even though you see 150 on the label. Make sure you do this math to stay on top of how many calories you’re actually consuming in one sitting. If you are trying to maintain or lose weight, these tips for living innocent, happy and healthy are your keys.
Don’t spend it all in one place
In addition to paying attention to the total number of calories, make sure you look at what’s in those calories. If you’re trying to eat in a calorie deficit or maintain, you want to be smart about how you expend calories throughout the day. Avoid foods high in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar. Instead, look for foods rich in vitamins, potassium, iron, calcium and other goodies. Fats like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are great for you in moderation and can be found in things like nuts, fish, olive oil, and other good oils. If you’re going to burn calories, make sure your body can put them to good use! Learn more about my relationship with food and my weight loss journey by clicking here .
Feel free to print out this list of tips and take it with you to the grocery store, because it will truly be a game changer when it comes to your eating habits. And that’s exactly what we’re trying to do – build good habits through things like the Summer Shape Up Challenge and following the Hot Body Meal Program so we can practice healthy eating throughout the dayeachday instead of just during a challenge! This is the best way to see long lasting results.
If you’re starting from square 1, cleaning out your cupboards – watch this video to get inspired and organized so you can live a healthier lifestyle from the inside out.