Healthy, Healthier, Healthiest! - A Consumer's Guide

Come one, come all, to Olerud's (orAlaska Meat and Grocery, or Sport Shop Grocery, or whatever else you'd like to call it)! It's across Main Street from the new Aspen Hotel - and right down the street from my office.

Today, I am starting to place Healthy, Healthier, Healthiest! designations on shelved food items. I'll look at saturated fat content, sodium verses potassium, refined or added sugars, and fiber to make my choices.

Foods that strike a balance between all of these will earn one of the three labels I've designed:

Foods that can earn the "Healthy" label will be foods that, although they aren't the best, are fine choices. Still to be enjoyed in moderation, these foods are to be considered a satisfactory option for satisfying a snack craving. Examples include dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, or high fiber snacks like a Fiber One bar. 

"Healthier" foods might be snack foods that, although low in saturated fat and sodium, don't contribute much to nutrition in general (i.e. low fiber, vitamins, minerals, protein). Or they had a higher fiber content than their Healthy counterparts, but lower than the Healthiest! options. 

The items with the bright yellow "Healthiest!" tags make me very excited - these will be used sparingly and for foods that not only have low saturated fat and sodium, but also high nutrition content. Bonus points if they're reasonably priced for the portion size!

As always, fresh fruits and vegetables get the "Healthiest!!!" designation. I plan on placing a large placard in the produce section to let consumers know that these are always great choices. Keep an eye out over the next few weeks for all of these tags as they pop up around the store.

Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

October 26, 2015