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Become a Savvy Food ShopperThis week, we’ll give you a few more strategies to help you become an even savvier shopper. We’ll walk you through the supermarket, aisle by aisle, to offer tips that will ensure your grocery bags are filled with the “right stuff.” You’ll also learn how to use the nutrition label and ingredient list to make product comparisons, and ultimately, smarter food choices. Your coach can help you brainstorm more healthy shopping ideas if necessary. By becoming a grocery store guru, you’ll set yourself up for long-term weight-loss success.

weigh About 9 Pounds Less

Women Who Read Labels

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SESSION 6

Label Readers Are Big

Losers... (And We Mean

That in a Good Way!)

Label readers consume 164 fewer

calories daily and have diets that

are lower in sugar, saturated fat

and sodium, and higher in fiber,

according to one government study.

Another large survey found that

women who read food labels have

a BMI 1.5 points lower than those

who don't. (That's approximately a

9-pound difference.)

The Simple Truth Is that Weight Loss Starts in the SupermarketPicture this: It’s dinnertime and you haven’t given a thought to what to make. And yet, you’re not stressed in the least! Why? Because you brought home healthy foods from the supermarket, which you can quickly transform into any number of easy-to-make and tasty meals. Or, if you’re really time-pressed, you can nuke one of those healthy frozen meals you picked up.

B ring home the right foods, and your

chances of dropping pounds and

keeping them off skyrocket. By now, you’ve

probably already started tossing healthier

picks into your cart—maybe you’re buying

ingredients for meals in the Real Appeal

meal plan, or perhaps you’ve been

checking calories so you hit your calorie

sweet spot. Whatever healthy changes

you’ve made up to this point, great work!

(And if you need any help planning meals,

use the handy six-step guidelines on page

20 of the Real Foods Nutrition Guide.)

Become a Label-Reading ProWhich cereal fills your bowl for the fewest

calories? Is that bread whole grain? Which

spaghetti sauce is lowest in sodium? The

answers to these questions are right on the

“Nutrition Facts” label and the product’s

ingredient list. Don’t be intimidated—when

you know what to look for, it’s actually

pretty easy to figure it all out. In fact, if you

can master the art of label reading, you’ll

be able to grab the healthiest, and most

slimming foods every time. (Needless to

say, one of the many perks of choosing

whole foods like fruits and vegetables is

that there’s no need to read a label.)

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SESSION 6

The label is divided into two parts: the Nutrition Facts label, which tells you how many calories and nutrients (like fat, carbohydrate and protein) a food product contains; and the Ingredients List, which is exactly as it sounds, a list of all the ingredients in the product. Let’s take a look at some of the key areas of the “Nutrition Facts” label.

Reading the Nutrition Facts Label

1

2

5

3

4

This is the amount of food or drink that the manufacturer has based all the nutrition information on. Serving sizes vary—sometimes, it’s the whole package, sometimes, it’s a portion of the package; in this example, one sixth.

Serving Size 1

This is the number of calories in a single serving of the food. If you have more or less than a single serving, you’ll have to do some quick math. For instance, if you eat an entire can of soup—usually two servings—you’d multiply calories by two. Eating just half a serving? Divide calories by two.

Calories2

This is a measure of how much fat—unsaturated, saturated and trans fat—a product contains. Because fat has more than double the calories per gram as carbohydrate or protein, pay extra careful attention to serving size and calories when you buy high fat foods. Also, scan the label for trans fat, and avoid foods containing this unhealthy fat.

In moderation, fatty foods like olive oil, nuts (and nut butters), and seeds are good for you, and keep your diet tasty. And that's good for weight loss, because if your healthy diet doesn't taste good, you're not going to stick to it!

Total Fat 3

Dietary Fiber 4

Opt for foods that are higher in fiber because high fiber diets are linked with weight loss.

This tells you how much of the appetite-suppressing nutrient a food contains. Opt for higher protein choices when comparing labels of frozen meals/entrées, chili, veggie burgers and other main courses.

Protein5

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SESSION 6

Which has more calories?

Brand AIced Tea

Answer: Brand A Iced Tea

Remember, calories are based on serving size, and these two products list different serving sizes (8 ounces versus 16.9 ounces). That means you have to do some math so you can compare similar serving sizes: Brand A has 70 calories per 8 ounces (easy!), while Brand B has about 40 calories per 8 ounces (divide 16.9 ounces by two to get roughly 8 ounces, and then divide calories by two to get 40 calories).

Plan to drink (or eat) the whole container? Remember to check the servings per container to figure out how many calories you’re going to consume. For instance, if you were to drink the entire bottle of Brand A, you would down 210 calories (that’s 3 servings per container x 70 calories per serving). Brand B is just 1 serving per container, so you’d have only 80 calories if you drank the whole bottle.

Brand B Iced Tea

Calorie Quiz

8 fl oz (240ml)

0 000060

0

00

10180

170

Approx. 3

70 0

16.9 fl oz (500ml)

0 000170

0

003580210

1

80 0

Investigate theIngredient List

Shorter is usually better. The shorter

the list and the more ingredients you

can pronounce and identify, the better.

It usually means fewer questionable

chemicals and less processing was

involved to make the food.

Ingredients are listed by weight. That

means the first few ingredients make up

the bulk of the food, and that’s where

most of the calories come from. Ideally,

you want to buy products in which the first

few ingredients are healthy ones (such as

whole wheat, oats, nuts, chicken, broccoli);

the less healthy ingredients (such as sugar,

butter, flour, and potato starch) should be lower

down on the list.

Speaking of sugar, it has many aliases,

including high fructose corn syrup, fruit

juice concentrate, agave, and brown rice

syrup. If comparing two sugary foods, opt

for the one with a sweetener that’s a little

further down the ingredient list.*

Partially hydrogenated oil means “trans

fat.” Just two grams (g) of the stuff daily

can raise your disease risk. Note: The

label may say “0 g trans fat” even though

“partially hydrogenated oil” is included

in the ingredient list. That’s because

a manufacturer can claim “0 g” if one

serving of the food contains 0.49 g (nearly

half a gram) or less. If you see partially

hydrogenated oil in the ingredients list,

leave the product on the shelf—that’s

how harmful this stuff is for you.

Whole grains aren’t always easy to spot. Products are often a combo of whole and

refined grains. And “multi-grain” products

might be a mix of various refined grains!

Whole grains are not only healthier than

refined (they contain more fiber and other

nutrients), they can also help you lose

weight by keeping you fuller for longer. If

an ingredient contains the word “whole” as

in “whole wheat” or “whole rye,” you can

be sure it’s a whole grain. Other common

whole grains that don’t contain the word

“whole” are: oats, barley, quinoa, brown

rice and buckwheat.*

*For a complete list of sugar aliases and

whole grain examples, see page 196 and

197 of your Real Foods Nutrition Guide.

The ingredient list is just as important as the Nutrition Facts label because it tells you exactly what a food is made of. Here are a few things to keep in mind when scanning the Ingredient List.

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Become a Supermarket Star!

To Buy or Not to Buy: 100-Calorie Snack Packs

Store shelves are flooded with 100-calorie packs and other individually wrapped pre-portioned snack

foods. But not all are a healthy option, and some can be fairly expensive. A few smart pre-portioned

swaps to make while you adjust to smaller portions: Ice cream bars or pops instead of gallons or pints;

lunch-sized bags of whole grain chips/crackers instead of a big container; one-ounce sticks or rounds

of cheese instead of a large block; one-ounce bags of nuts instead of a large container; bars made of

dried fruit and nuts/seeds instead of a bag of trail mix.

real tips

1 Don’t go hungryHunger can drive you to toss “those

tempting-yet-fattening foods” into the cart.

2 Take your Real Appeal Staples shopping list

(page 186 of the Real Foods Nutrition

Guide). It covers staples you should always

have on hand, and offers buying tips, such

as the maximum amount of sodium in

pasta sauce.

3 Stick mainly to the perimeter

The “outer ring” of the store is where the

healthier, less processed foods tend to be.

4 Compare labelsWhen comparing two or more foods,

the better one usually has less sugar,

sodium and saturated fat and more fiber.

5 Perishable refrigerated or frozen foods

Put perishable refrigerated or frozen foods

in your cart last. This is a food safety issue:

Milk, frozen meals, poultry, meat and

especially seafood should stay as cold as

possible (an insulated bag can help).

More specific shopping tips coming up.

N o matter how savvy a shopper you

are, supermarket aisles can be

overwhelming—the cereal aisle alone can

make your head spin. Use these tips to get

in and get out with the healthiest picks.

Now it’s time to try out your new label-reading skillsat the grocery store.

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Be a Grocery Store Whiz

DairyBuy one percent or fat-free milk, plain, low-fat, or nonfat yogurt (add fruit or some honey to sweeten it) and low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese with at least 15 percent of the DV for calcium per serving (season it with salt and pepper). Harder cheeses (like cheddar, Swiss, Jack, and mozzarella) tend to have more calcium than soft cheeses. It’ s OK to go for full-fat cheese if you prefer the taste—just remember to pay attention to portions.

Salad BarLooking for a no-cook meal you can dig into the minute you get home? Try the salad bar. Pile on the greens and plain, raw vegetables. Top with chopped chicken, turkey, or tofu. Other healthful salad toppings: chickpeas, kidney beans, legumes, and nuts. Use just enough dressing to lightly coat (1 to 2 tablespoons).

SeafoodAll seafood is healthy, but it can be pricey, so buy what’s on sale. Signs of freshness: It doesn't smell fishy, and flesh is firm and bounces back to the touch. The shells of mussels and other shellfish should be closed tightly. Choose packages of frozen fish that don’t have ice crystals.

DeliThe leanest freshly sliced or pre-packaged deli meats are ham, turkey, chicken or roast beef. Ideally, the meats should be free of nitrites/nitrates, which have been linked to cancer. (The person at the counter can check the label for these chemicals as well as sodium levels.)

High-calorie salami, bologna, and pepperoni should be rare treats, and skip salads that are drenched in mayo or oil (instead, make your own; try the Chicken Waldorf or Taco Salad recipes in the Real Foods Nutrition Guide).

Fruits and VegetablesAll fruits and vegetables are good for you so buy what you like, and what’s on sale. Try to include a variety of types and colors so you get more nutrients and enjoy more tastes. Buy pre-cut, pre-cleaned produce to save time on prep later.

Meat and PoultryBuy poultry without the skin (it adds fat and calories) or get the entire chicken, chop it up yourself and remove the skin before eating. Thighs and drumsticks are juicier—and less expensive—than breasts, and just as healthy. For the leanest types of beef and pork, check your Real Appeal Staples shopping list.

The Middle Aisles The middle aisles are where the junk food lives, so proceed cautiously. It’s OK to toss a treat into your cart, but stick with just one and don’t buy another until you’ve finished. You can also find some very healthy foods here, including canned beans, olive oil, and other staples mentioned in your Shopping List.

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I will become a smarter shopper

Commitment Contract I'll focus on becoming a savvier shopper and choosing healthier carbs.

Setting myself up for success entails bringing home the right foods.

I’ll do that by becoming a smarter shopper at the grocery store.

My signature: ______________________________

I’ll bring the Real Appeal Staples shopping list to the grocery store and stock up on fruit, vegetables, poultry and other healthy proteins; nonfat or low-fat dairy (or soymilk or other dairy substitutes); whole grain products; olive oil and other healthy fats.

I’ll read the Nutrition Facts label to select the healthiest products—those that are lower in calories, saturated fat, sugar, sodium; and higher in fiber.

I’ll examine the ingredient lists of products, selecting those with healthier components (such as whole wheat, nuts, chicken) at the beginning, and less healthy ingredients (sweeteners, butter, potato starch) toward the end.

Meanwhile, I’ll continue my other healthy habits (weighing in, tracking, staying within my calorie range, etc.) to the best of my ability.