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Healthy Grocery Shopping Strategies for Families

Healthy shopping strategies

Follow these three easy steps to avoid being fooled by misleading label claims:

1. Speed read the front label Remember, manufacturers use this prime real estate to entice shoppers to buy their products. Translation: Much of the wording is pure advertising jargon.

2. Go to the ingredients list This is where you find out what's actually in the food. Manufacturers list ingredients in order from most to least (so if "sugar" is the first ingredient, you're off to a bad start). Look for words you can't pronounce or terms that sound like something from your ninth-grade chemistry textbook, which is a clue that there are chemical additives that might be harmful to your health.

3. Quick-scan the Nutrition Facts label This is where you'll find the amounts of nutrients you're getting based on the ingredients list. If you're not sure how to read the label, check out Health Canada's Interactive Nutrition Label for a handy crash course in how to determine the true nutritional content of the food you're buying.

Meet our expert:

Kerry McLeod is the author of the popular diet and nutrition book The Last Diet Book Standing and founder of eBrandAid.com, a bi-weekly e-newsletter that educates shoppers on how to find the healthiest and best-tasting foods at the local grocery store. McLeod has recently been featured on CBS 46 News, Martha Stewart Living Radio, Forbes.com, Diet.com, and the Vancouver Sun. ebrandaid.com