“Being healthy is easy”, you hear that line day after day. But for most of us, eating healthy often implies eating food that is insipid or tasteless or worse, conjures up images of plain, boiled vegetables! Not one to be discouraged easily, I decided to start healthy living, right from the very source. No, not a total detoxification program at an ultra-exclusive clinic tucked away in some quiet corner of the city. I decided to start out at the urban food haven: the grocery store. 

"Where do I start?" I wondered. How do I know if what I’m buying is healthy? Is there any one to check the ingredients I’m serving my family night after night? A little research on the internet pointed me to the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s food information program. Called “Health Check” the program involves food companies and restaurants sending their products and food to the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s team of registered dieticians who evaluate the items sent in for nutritional information. The nutrient standards are based on Canada’s Food Guide. The website has a ton of information useful for the average person, with specific information on the criteria that the Foundation uses to monitor food quality and nutrition. And if reading text is too much work, all you have to do is look for the Health Check symbol (see image below) on food packaging or on the menu.

 

Armed with this information, I decided to step out into my local grocery store. With my list of items ready to be picked up, I promised myself I’d stick strictly to the products cleared by the Heart and Stroke Foundation. As added motivation, I chose some simple products that most of us use on a daily basis to make it easier to get started.

 

First stop, the bread aisle. With so many choices, each promising more fibre than the other or higher protein, you’re never quite sure what to pick up. So I decided to go the easy way: look for the Health Check symbol. And when you get around to it, there were a ton of choices. I picked out Whole Grain bread but there were several bread products that met the Health Check standard. For a complete list of grain products approved by the Health Check program, click here. 

Moving on, I wondered if it would be as easy to find fruits and vegetables that were approved by the program. Would someone really check on produce and make sure it was healthy enough? Ready to load some orange juice to my cart, I glanced around to observe the juice section. With a number of different brands available, it wasn’t difficult to pick something that was both a favourite and approved by the Health Check program. Canned fruits like peaches and blueberries are also monitored by the program, and needless to say, I felt a lot better restocking my baking supplies with health-friendly items. Frozen peas and potatoes are among items that are available when you choose to make simple roast chicken meal. Click here for more information 

Milk products are something that I’m always concerned about. Should I buy low-fat or fat-free? And is it really high on calcium? Looking at my list of dairy products - soya milk, cream cheese and mozzarella - I found popular brands had signed up with the Health Check program. This is easy, I said to myself. I wonder why I didn’t look for these symbols before. Getting healthier isn’t as difficult as I thought it would be, and so I also found some healthy flavoured yoghurt for my dessert cravings.  Check this list for more information on milk and dairy products.

 

As non-vegetarian, it’s important to be very careful in the kind of processed meat that you select. I prefer the extra-lean meats available in the market as they are lower in fat content and the flavours are just as good as regular products. Again, a number of Health Check symbols greeted me as I walked by the rather chilly freezer. I picked out extra lean turkey for a seasoned kebab dinner I had planned for this week, and then stopped by the tinned fish products aisle to select some seasoned tuna for quick lunch sandwiches. All in all, I have to admit the choices are vast and you can pretty much pick meats, including complete meal packages that are up to the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s standards. FYI, there are also eggs in the grocery store that have been given the Health Check symbol. I can see a good waffle, bacon and eggs breakfast coming up in the near future. Thank you Health Check! More information here.

 

Almost through my rather short list, I decided to take a dive in the snacks section. To my surprise, even cookies, biscuits, and snack bars have found their way to the Health Check dieticians. Not one in favour of lots of white flour or snacks high in sugar or salt, I glanced through the ingredients on the boxes of those items approved by Health Check and those that weren’t. The differences were obvious even for someone like me, with no mathematical prowess.

 

After heading home, as I emptied out my groceries, I was glad I made a start somewhere. Now that the ingredients are in place, all that remains is sticking to serving size and making better lifestyle choices. Sipping on my Health Check-ed soya milk, I raised my glass: “Cheers to good health!”

The Health Check program suggests some important things to check when shopping (Taken from Health Check website)

ü Check the Nutrition Facts table for important information.

ü The amount of calories and nutrients such as fat, sodium and fibre in a food product is based on serving size.

ü When you compare products, make sure the serving sizes are similar.

ü If you eat 2 times the serving size, you will get double the listed calories and nutrients.

ü If a food has 25% or more the Daily Value, it has a lot of that nutrient.

ü If a food has 5% or less, it means there is little of that nutrient.

ü Aim for higher % Daily Value for nutrients such as fibre, calcium and iron.

ü Look for a lower % Daily Value for fat, saturated and trans fat, cholesterol and sodium.