Have you seen the commercials for pet food lately?  Bragging about quality lean protein, veggies, and Omega 3 fats that their products contain.  Would you want to give your pet anything different?

But then look at your kitchen.  Is it loaded with quality lean proteins, veggies, Omega 3 fats, etc or is it a mix of processed convenience foods and bad fats? 

You deserve a high quality diet.  Don’t let your pet outdo you in the nutrition part of your life.

As manufacturers and consumers battle it out while trying to unravel the mystery of “what to buy” , there have been different labeling programs that have developed.  As a Dietitian, I get fairly frustrated with the added confusion this brings.  Ultimately it is designed to help the consumer (You) have an easier time picking out healthful choices in the store.   But does it make it easier or more complicated?  It seems, more complicated.

I am sure you have seen these labels on foods you would never think would be a healthy choice, like sugared breakfast cereal that is about 40% sugar?  Seems like something is mixed up.  Per the package – one cereal is supposed to “improve immunity” and another “lowers your cholesterol 4 points if you eat 3 cups of it a day”.  My question is 4 points?  What good is that.  And really is breakfast cereal the best choice to get you started in the day?  And 3 cups of it every day?   

Well, it is being noticed.  And I think it needs to be.  But where do we go from here? 

I think we need to find an answer to this and quickly. 

But wait – we have one.  Rely less on what the food labels says and eat foods that don’t come with a standard food label.  Natural, wholesome foods that have not been altered by food manufacturers. 

This remains our best choice. 

See more about this….http://bit.ly/1BjVWd

This past week I came across a link looking at the Top 10 Best-Selling Grocery Items, which is always intriguing to me.  In one of my favorite books by Patrick Quillin, he referenced the top 10 from a few years ago.  

From then on I am hooked and very curious.  Aren’t you curious to see what the best-selling grocery store items are?   

Well, take a look and find out. 

After looking over the list, review your Top 10  foods on your grocery list.  Are there certain things that you get all the time that you need to get less often?  Buying more whole foods I hope – things that are not so processed?  If not, take this opportunity to change it.

Make your Top 10 – a disease-fighting Top 10!

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_julieshealthclub/2009/10/the-top-10-bestselling-grocery-items.html

Since we are on the topic of processed foods, I wanted to see what someone else says about them.  So I spent some time recently reading Michael Pollan’s book, “In Defense of Food” where he discusses fortified processed foods.  Basically these food items are robbed of their original nutrients through processing and then fortified to contain whatever the trend is at the moment  - no trans fat or saturated fats, more omega 3 fats, vitamins, minerals, etc.  This results in a fortified processed food which is at times plugged as being a healthier choice than it’s original whole food?   Confusing! 

We see this many times throughout our TV commercials or shopping in our grocery stores.  When you go shopping, how do you decide which one is best?  We need to put less focus on specific nutrients, instead looking at the big picture of whether these food items are whole foods or processed foods.

So keep these little tidbits from Michael in your nutrition kit to help you choose wisely: 

 *Don’t eat anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.

*Don’t eat anything incapable of rotting.

Here’s to the rest of your weekend filled with foods your grandmother would recognize!