When trying to make healthy choices at the supermarket, many Aussies may look toward the Health Star Rating (HSR) before adding an item to their trolley. However, since the Government introduced the system in 2014, there has been a review of the HSR calculator[1]. This has among other things, jeopardised the perceived nutritional value of many household favourites, reducing the rating on various breakfast cereals, dairy goods, and salty snacks.
To help Aussies make better food choices and be more aware of which meals might not be as healthy as they first seem, I have outlined five common shopping list items that fall short on the nutritional value scale despite their supposed ‘healthiness’. Reigning in bad dietary habits now can prevent the chance of serious health conditions developing down the track. Check out the health benefits of resistant starch here.
5 common grocery items that are not as healthy as they look
- Muesli bars. Often a convenient snack for people on the go, muesli bars might be perfect for your pocket but are not as great for your waistline. Many contain added sugar – such as cane sugar, glucose sugars, and rice malt – making them high in kilojoules and low in nutritional value. The Australian Dietary Guidelines places muesli bars in the same category as cake, chocolate, ice cream and doughnuts due to the higher fat content and added sugars.[2] Unless you are making your own muesli bars with wholefood ingredients or purchasing ones made mostly from barley, oats, or quinoa – it is not a healthy or energy-sustaining snack option.
- Frozen yoghurt. If yoghurt is healthy, then shouldn’t frozen yoghurt be the same? While frozen yoghurt does have less fat than ice cream since the recipe uses milk instead of cream – it often contains added sugar to prevent large clumps of ice appearing during the freezing process. For example, a 100 gram serving of Blue Ribbon Classic Vanilla Ice-cream contains almost 19 grams of sugar, but a Bulla Wildberry Frozen Yoghurt still has 19.4 grams of sugar.[3] Just like ice cream, frozen yoghurt should be an occasional treat, not a staple.
- Wraps. While a wrap may seem like a healthier and lighter lunch option than bread, many popular supermarket brands contain added salt, which if eaten in excess, can lead to high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart problems.[4] An analysis of the top 22 wrap products on supermarket shelves found that none met the criteria of ‘low salt’, as defined by the Australian Food Standards Code as less than 120mg per 100g. What is also concerning is that only five of the wraps were free from artificial preservatives. [5]
- Veggie chips. Do not be fooled by the word ‘veggie’ in the title – as chips made from kale or carrot are still a far cry from a salad. Just like potato chips, veggie chips are usually laden with oil and hit a similar calorie count. Due to the manufacturing process, the nutrients in the vegetables are also destroyed, taking away all the goodness of the original vegetable. Unless the packet has minimal ingredients and lists whole vegetables, it probably isn’t the healthy snack you had in mind.
- Dried fruit. While fresh fruit is one of the healthiest snack options out there, the drying process significantly increases the sugar content per serving, by sucking out most of the water from fruit, which concentrates the calories and sugar.[6] The high amounts of sugar and kilojoules found in dried fruit – such as sultanas and dates – can cause weight gain and even tooth decay if eaten too often.[7] This is why dried fruit should be considered as a sometimes snack and eaten with portion control in mind.
About Anthony Fleming
Anthony Fleming is General Manager of Health Insurance and spokesperson for leading comparison service Compare the Market. Having been in the health industry for 15 years, Anthony has delivered health-based projects throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, America and Europe. His focus is on improving education and information within the health sector, including empowering consumers to better support their health needs through tailored private health insurance policies. Visit comparethemarket.com.au.
