Grocery Shopping | Healthy Eats – Food Network Healthy Living Blog

Taste Test: Hot Sauce by Toby Amidor in Taste Test, August 14, 2012

With so much talk about hot sauce, we had to taste test all the popular varieties for ourselves. We got our mouths fired up for this spicy taste test. Find out who topped our list.

It’s All About Sodium
Hot sauce is the new ketchup. Dab a little on sandwiches, pizza, pasta dishes, chili, grilled meats, eggs – almost any dish. If you check out the label, you’ll notice that there’s not much nutrition information per serving—no calories, fat, saturated fat, carbs, or protein (or at least so little that it can be listed as zero by food labeling guideline). What it does have is sodium—and some brands have more than others.

Grocery Shopping for Healthy Cooking at Home by Monique Volz in Grocery Shopping, Healthy Every Week Challenge, May 18, 2012

: Vegan Pina Colada Smoothies

We’re hosting a Healthy Every Week Challenge for the month of May; a month-long initiative to develop healthy eating habits. The plan is to develop a manageable healthy habit each week that will carry through the new year. Join us here and share what you’re eating on Facebook and Twitter .

Between work, exercise and a busy social life, sometimes I find it difficult to prepare myself meals during the week. It’s time consuming and after a long day in meetings the last thing I want to do is cook a meal for myself. It’s usually easier to heat up a frozen meal or to stop and grab a sandwich on my way home. So what’s the problem with this? Well I’m spending money that could be saved and I’m also not 100% sure of what additives or hidden calories are in my food. Okay and I’ll admit: I’m a firm believer that cooking at home is a creative energy that should be explored by all.

Label Claims: Too Good to Be True? by Toby Amidor in Grocery Shopping, April 7, 2012

: Should you believe everything you read on food labels?

There are some packaged foods that make me want to scream! Some try to make not-very-healthy foods seem like they’re super nutritious, while others take healthy food and make them less nutritious. Oftentimes the first thought in my mind is “who thought this up?” Check out these outlandish foods, and keep in mind that if a label claim sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You’re better off eating real, whole foods over packaged or manufactured foods any day.

#1: Snap Infusion Supercandy
This candy is marketed as having “the deliciousness and instant gratification of candy, packed with super benefits.” It’s packed with a variety of B-vitamins, the antioxidant vitamins C and E, and a variety of electrolytes.
Instead: Be careful popping these over-fortified candies. Eat a balanced meal to get B-vitamin from proteins, vitamin C and potassium from fruit and veggies, vitamin E from healthy fats, and electrolytes from dairy.

Taste Test: Gluten-Free Breads by Dana Angelo White in Gluten-Free, Taste Test, April 6, 2012

: Is your favorite gluten-free bread on our list?

The gluten-free phenomenon has lead to dozens of new products on store shelves. Breads and baked goods are some of the hardest foods to make tasty and sans gluten. We polled our readers and took their favorite brands for a test drive.

The Criteria
For this taste test, we rated breads based on taste, texture, nutrition and cost. Each variety was rated on a 5-point scale (5 being the highest). Gluten-free breads are famously higher in calories so we tried hard to find some smart and tasty options. Most of the brands recommended toasting for best taste –this was definitely the preferable way for just about all of the options.

Food for Life – Millet Bread
Rating: 3.5
Cost: $5.99
Nutrition Info (per slice): 100 calories; 21 grams carbohydrates; 0.5 gram fiber
Our Take: The millet gave this bread a pleasant nutty and sweet flavor. While many GF breads are dry and crumbly, this was almost too chewy. The slices are tiny and overall, not worth the price.

Label Decoder: Carrageenan by Toby Amidor in Grocery Shopping, Label Decoder, March 13, 2012

: Carrageenan is on the ingredients list of many products in the dairy aisle, but what is it?

This ingredient is found in foods like ice cream, jelly and even infant formula. Find out what it does and if it’s safe to eat.

Label Decoder: Diacetyl by Toby Amidor in Grocery Shopping, Label Decoder, March 9, 2012

: What's this movie night treat made with?

There’s no better snack for movie night at home than a bucket of buttery popcorn. But you may think twice about the microwave stuff after we tell you about and ingredient it contains, diacetyl, and the trouble it has caused.

What is it?
Diacetyl was first synthesized more than 80 years ago and can now be found in about 6,000 food products. It’s used as a preservative in unsalted butter to lengthen shelf life, but higher amounts are added to butter-flavored products like microwave popcorn, cooking oils and sprays and margarine.

5 of the Scariest Processed Foods by Dana Angelo White in Grocery Shopping, March 9, 2012

: Festive or scary?

The supermarket can be a scary place. We’ve scanned store shelves for the most processed processed foods. Our list is growing – here are the top 5 for this week. The good news? In almost every case, you can make your own with REAL FOOD!

Canned Frosting
Mix up trans fats and corn syrup and you’ve got a tub of cake frosting. At more than 70 calories per tablespoon, it’s not worth it for a variety of reasons.

Healthier Alternative: Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting

Food Labeling 101: Understanding Label Claims by Katie Cavuto-Boyle in Grocery Shopping, March 4, 2012

: Are you confused by label claims? You're not alone.

The supermarket aisles are flooded with health claims from “healthy, all-natural” frozen dinners to “cholesterol-lowering” granola bars. We’re constantly getting conflicting messages on what to what to eat — from organic produce to free-range or grass-fed meat — and what to avoid — from trans fats to high fructose corn syrup. It’s not surprising that most consumers are left wondering what to believe and what it all means.

8 Surprising Sources of Sugar by Toby Amidor in Grocery Shopping, Healthy Tips, February 29, 2012

: Is there sugar hiding in your groceries?

Move over salt, there’s a new bad guy in town: sugar. We know that sweet treats and heavily processed food tends to be laden with sugar, but you’ll be shocked to find out that these 8 common foods that contain more sugar than you think.

The Guidelines

The American Heart Association recommends that women limit their added sugar to no more than 6 teaspoons (or 100 calories) while men shouldn’t consume more than 9 teaspoons (or 150 calories) each day. Americans blow these recommendations out of the water, consuming an average of 475 calories of added sugar each day! So take a good look at your pantry to see if you’re eating any of these hidden sources of sugar.

Food Labeling 101: Understanding the Nutrition Facts Label by Katie Cavuto-Boyle in Grocery Shopping, February 25, 2012

For a long time, I was that person awkwardly standing in the middle of a supermarket aisle staring at the myriad of cereals wondering which was right for me. But the reality is the Nutrition Facts label on the back of each box provides me with all the information I need to choose the cereal that best fits my diet. I have found that many of my clients choose one section of the food label such as calories or total fat, and they base their food choices off that number. But it’s important to understand the whole label and realize that it’s a wonderful tool you can use to investigate exactly what each product contains and which product is the best choice. Remember, real, whole foods like fruits and vegetables are always the best bet. But when it comes to convenience foods, the food label and especially the ingredient list is the perfect guide to help you make better choices.