To Buy or Not to Buy...That is the question.

You are walking down the aisle at the grocery store and you see this product.  First impressions? Maybe a healthy option for a quick breakfast?  Whole cherries means real whole fruit were used and yup, says so in small print, "Made with Real Fruit." "More of the Whole Grains Your Body Needs" printed in a large yellow box and the bold "Whole Grain" is a pretty clear message.  Even a picture of a whole grain dotting the "i" in Nutri-Grain? How cute.  Are you sold by the packaging and the product is already in your cart, ready to be purchased?  If so, please take one more minute to look at the Nutrition Facts.  Because what you will find, may surprise you and may change your mind.  

Nutrition Facts label only became a requirement in 1990, that's relatively recent in the overall food industry.   But how many of us actually look at the label?  Apparently many of us say we look, but when it comes down to it we actually don't according to Eatright.org.  It may be because we feel it's overwhelming, complicated, time-consuming or just not understood.  The simpler it is depends on your health and for some with certain health issues, a detailed overview may be helpful and if so, check out the US Food & Drug Administration's website. For most of us, I would suggest focusing on the following 3 areas...

SERVING SIZE: Here is a great guide that provides you with an accurate visual when it comes to a tablespoon, an ounce, a cup, etc. Portion sizes are one of the major hurdles for losing weight and we all need to be realistic about the amount of food entering our body. We have all done it... grabbed a bag of chips, ate right out of the bag and sure enough suddenly 6 servings are gone. Just like that. There is no "right" serving, just know what it is. 

PROTEIN & SUGAR: I look for the protein to be high and sugar low. We all know sugar is unhealthy but the unfortunate fact is they sneak it into almost everything. 0g is ideal but not always possible and did you know that sugar is now linked with bad skin? Wow. Read more here.

FIBER: Look for 3g or more in a serving. According to Mayo Clinic, women need around 24g per day and men need approximately 36g and raspberries, artichokes, lentils, and barley are all great sources with well over 3g per serving.  

Shocked that calories and/or fat aren't on this list?  It's alright.  It will be alright. Consciously I am choosing items with high fiber and high protein full well knowing that the consequence might be adding more calories to my diet. But that's OK with me because I am getting more bang for my buck.  When I was in high school, the big fad was the lowfat and nonfat products which we all know meant no nutrients or taste. And consequently, it often meant high in sugar which has connections to increase in diabetes, obesity, inflammation and much more.  By choosing to eat real food that provides me with energy and nutrients, while keeping me full for longer than 15 minutes has the overall potential of eating the same or even less daily calories.

So back to our Cherry Nutri-Grain breakfast bar. Here is the nutrition information from the Nutri-Grain website...
1. Serving Size - 1 Bar which is 37 grams
2. Protein - 2grams, Sugar - 12 grams.
3. Fiber(Dietary) - 3 grams.

Let's go back to whether or not you are going to throw this item in the grocery cart now or keep on searching. Decision made? OK, well maybe you need some more information? Dietary Fiber is acceptable, but protein is low and sugar is kind of high. Where do you look next? That's right, the Ingredients List and I will give you a hint, it will definitely make your decision for you. But not yet, let's save that for the next post and until then spend a little more time reviewing the Nutrition Facts while you are grocery shopping keeping a keen eye on Serving Size, Protein, Sugar and Fiber. Until next time, which will be very soon, I promise.