Photo: Getty Images / Tom Werner
During the grocery store rush hour, you might not have the time to flip over every box of granola bars on the shelf to figure out which one is the healthiest. Instead, maybe you’ll just scan the brands you recognize for a flavor you want to try. Or maybe you’ll pick something that claims to be high in a nutrient you want more of, like protein or fiber. If you’re really in a rush, you might just grab the prettiest box on the shelf and hightail it to the register.
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The survey asked participants to identify the healthiest cereal bar from the following choices— you can click on the brand names to get a look at the front of the box:
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When asked how they decided which bar to choose, participants focused on what they could tell from the ingredients on the box. The words that came up most were “natural,” “sugar” and “brand,” but none of those buzzwords are foolproof indications of how healthy or not a product may be. While a brand might tout low sugar content on its packaging, that doesn’t mean that the sodium or saturated fat content are low as well—and those are numbers you may want to watch out for, especially since many of us alreadyeat more sodium than we should.
But even on days when you’re not feeling up to doing mental math based on the back of your granola box, there are simple ways to double-check that you’re making a healthy choice. You coulddownload the Nutri-Score app, for one, and use it to scan barcodes at the store. If your product is in the Nutri-Score library, the app will tell you how the item scores. (But don’t stress if your favorite pint of ice cream bounces back with an E score—as the Nutri-Score website says, even the lowest scoring products can have a place in your routine and can be enjoyed in moderation.)
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And some dietitians say thata quick look at the nutrition label can tell you a lot, even if you just give it a glance. Be sure to check out the ingredients list—generally, “the fewer ingredients the better” is the rule of thumb. Other dietitianslook at the fiber content first, sincefiber can keep you feeling fulland satisfied (and most Americansdon’t get enough of it).
No matter what you pick up at the store, the important thing is that you eat a healthy mix of protein, whole grains, fruits, veggies and healthy fats each day. (TheMediterranean dietis a good place to start when it comes to balancing your eating pattern.)
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