As my husband and I cruised through the grocery store this weekend, I realized just how difficult it is to make decisions about healthy meal options.  There are so many choices.  No transfat. No fat. Low in calories.  Only 100 calories. Low in sodium. And the list goes on and on.

 So what do you do?  How do you make healthy choices?  I spoke to one of our wellness experts, Kara Boley, here at Priority Health and she recommended that instead of reading the front of a box that I turn it over and read the nutrition food labels.  She said that you should look for five things:

  1.  Serving size. Look to see if there are multiple servings in the container. If you are eating more than one serving, be sure to multiply all others nutrients accordingly.
  2.  Calories. The total calories tell us the energy producing potential of a food. This energy comes from fats, carbohydrates, proteins and alcohol.
  3.  Total Fat. Total fat intake should be 20-35% of your total daily calories.
  4.  Sodium. You should try to limit your total sodium intake to no more than 2,300 mg per day (equivalent to 1 tsp of salt). 
  5.  Fiber. Not only does fiber help you feel full longer, it also helps reduce blood cholesterol levels, control blood sugar and may even lower your risk for heart disease. Aim to get 25-40 grams of fiber per day.

 Now this is a lot to take in.  And often when I am shopping, especially with my husband and six-month-old daughter, I don’t have a lot of time to read labels. 

Well there is still hope, and help, to make healthy food choices. Kara is collaborating with Shari Steinbach from Meijer to host a fantastic event on the Secrets to Smart Shopping at the Cascade Meijer in Grand Rapids on February 25, 2010.  You are welcome to join us at the event, but registration is required. 

Visit priorityhealth.com to register or learn more.