Matt Goulding: Surviving the Supermarket

With obesity rates soaring, food costs climbing and food budgets shrinking, Matt and co-author David Zinczenko, devised a supermarket guide. This guide helps shoppers get back in control of their health, wallets and waistlines. Many Americans who are working harder to stay in shape need help in deciphering misleading food labels and health claims. The supermarket is filled with great-tasting, healthy options. Finding them and understanding what makes one food healthier and better for your waistline than the product sitting next to it on the shelf takes thought and research. Simply changing the way you look at a trip to the supermarket can make all the difference. Matt says, for example, you have two packages in your hands: one says whole grain, the other says multigrain. Which one do you choose? Whole grain means the entire grain kernel – wheat, corn, etc. – has been used to make the product. Multigrain only means that more than one type of grain was used. The better choice: whole grain. Another example is that Quaker Heart Healthy hot cereals have more sugar than the same size serving of Froot Loops! Work the edges of a supermarket (the healthiest food is found along the walls). Look on top and bottom of shelves (healthier foods tend to be there because kids’ foods are at kids’ eye levels). The closer you get to the earth, the better (smarter to eat fresh carrots than a serving of Veggie Crisps crackers). MAKING CHOICES The Worst Frozen Breakfast: Jimmy Dean Pancake & Sausage Links Breakfast Bowls 710 calories, 31 g fat (11 g saturated), 890 mg sodium Calorie equivalent: 6 bowls of Froot Loops Eat this instead: Jimmy Dean D-lights Breakfast Bowls Turkey Sausage The Worst Frozen Pizza: Digorno for One Garlic Bread Crust Supreme Pizza 850 calories, 44 g fat (15 g saturated, 3.5 g trans), 1450 g sodium Calorie equivalent: 30 cups buttered popcorn Eat this instead: South Beach Diet Deluxe Pizza The Worst Frozen Pasta: Bertolli Grilled Chicken Alfredo and Fettuccine 710 calories, 42 g fat, 1370 sodium Calorie equivalent: 22 strips of bacon Eat this instead: Birds Eye Steamfresh Meals for Two Grilled Chicken in Roasted Garlic Sauce The Worst Frozen Entrée: Hungry Man Classic Fried Chicken 1020 calories, 57 g fat (12 g saturated), 1570 mg sodium Fat equivalent: 9 Breyers Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches Eat this instead: Banquet Select Chicken Parmesan The Worst Packaged Food in America: Marie Callendar’s Creamy Parmesan Chicken Pot Pie 1060 calories, 64 g fat (24 g saturated), 1440 mg sodium Calorie equivalent: 5 Krispy Kreme doughnuts Saturated fat equivalent: 24 strips of bacon Sodium equivalent: 5 regular orders of McDonald’s French fries Eat this instead: Marie Callendar’s Oven Baked Chicken FIVE SIMPLE PANTRY SWAPS Matt says there are five supermarket swaps you can make that will save you 20 pounds this year: Eat this: Breyer’s All Natural Chocolate Chip ice cream, 150 calories, 8 g fat Not that: Haagen-Daz Mint Chip, 300 calories, 19 g fat Eat this: Kraft Mayo with Olive Oil, 45 calories, 4 g fat (0 g saturated) Not that: Kraft Real Mayo, 90 calories, 10 g fat (1.5 g saturated) Eat this: Frosted Mini Wheats, 200 calories, 1 g fat (0 g saturated), 12 g sugars, 6 g fiber Not that: Quaker Natural Granola, Oats, Honey and Raisins, 420 calories, 12 g fat, 30 g sugars, 6 g fiber Eat this: Oikos Greek Vanilla Yogurt, 110 calories, 1 g fat, 11 g sugars Not that: Yoplait 99% Fat Free French Vanilla, 170 calories, 1.5 g fat (1 g saturated), 27 g sugars Eat this: Popchips (1 sm bag), 100 calories, 3 g fat (0 g saturated) Not that: Lay’s (1 sm bag), 160 calories, 10 g fat (1 g saturated)