How to Make Healthy Choices in a “Packaged Foods World”

In this day and age, it’s hard to get away from eating packaged foods . . . at least every now and then. As hard as you may try to eliminate packaged and processed foods from your diet, sometimes it’s unavoidable. Luckily, you can be smart about choosing these kinds of foods if you have the knowledge to identify the really unhealthy ones. Keep reading for some tips on how to survive in a “packaged foods world.”

With the advances in science and nutrition, people these days have become very health conscious and are really learning to look at what they are putting in their bodies. However, there may be times you just can’t get away from resorting to packaged or processed foods.

If and when you’re faced with a packaged-foods dilemma, there are four ingredients that you need to be aware of.

Trans Fats
Trans Fats are by far the worst kind of fat, even worse than saturated fats (actually twice as dangerous), and should very rarely be consumed. In short, trans fats are criminal to your health. Trans fats are the culprit for thousands of premature heart disease deaths and they boost bad LDL cholesterol, and decrease good HLDL cholesterol (the cholesterol that your liver makes naturally). Trans fats also raise your artery-clogging lipoprotein and triglycerides. Despite the damage they do to your health, trans fats were ordered to be listed in the nutrition facts on food packages only as recently as 2006.

Refined Grains
People who regularly indulge in refined grains such as white bread, rolls, sugary cereals, white rice, and white pasta increase their risk of heart disease by 30 percent.

Salt
Salt is certainly on the top ten things to avoid in large doses. Three-fourths of the sodium in our diets is not actually from the saltshaker, but in processed foods such as: canned soups and vegetables, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and preserved meats such as bacon, ham and deli turkey. Too much salt has been linked to such health problems as hypertension (high blood pressure), kidney disease, a potassium deficiency and dizziness.

High Fructose Corn Syrup
As a nation, we consume about 63 pounds of high fructose corn syrup per person, per year. High fructose corn syrup is found in many frozen foods, brown bread (it’s what makes the dark color), whole wheat bread, hamburger buns, English muffins, beer, bacon, spaghetti sauce, soft drinks, and even ketchup. Many experts believe that the increased use of high fructose corn syrup in products such as these over the last few decades has contributed to America’s increasing “obesity epidemic.”

Tips for Healthy Pre-Packaged Food Eating

If there are times when you absolutely must opt for packaged foods, here are a few tips to help you make the right choices:

• Read food labels: Pay attention to both amounts (grams, milligrams, etc.) as well as percentages. The ingredients list is also important: the items listed on the ingredients portion of the product label will indicate amounts from highest to lowest. For example, if sugar is the second on the ingredient list, and water is listed 20th on the list, you know that sugar is more prominent in that product than water.
  
  
• Shop at Health Food stores: Oftentimes health food stores will offer “packaged” foods without all the usual unhealthy ingredients.
  
  
• Break your packaged foods habit: Once you start eating fresh foods with healthy ingredients, you may find yourself eating less of the processed stuff because you just feel better!
  
  
• Don’t give in to your child: It may seem difficult to resist putting that sugary cereal in your cart, especially when your little one is lying on the grocery store floor throwing a temper tantrum. Be strong! The healthy choices you make for your kids today will only benefit them in the long run.
  
  
• Shop at your local Farmer's Market: Not only do these markets provide the best source for local, fresh, non-packaged foods, but they often have a family-friendly, festive environment. By making healthy food choices a “fun” activity for you and your family, you will be much more likely to stick to those habits.

Making the right choices in this world of packaged foods is not impossible! Don’t let the temptation of a “quick fix” reel you in. Being smart and choosing wisely will do wonders for your health now and well into the future.