So many choices - so many of them unhealthy. The playing field is not quite fair: the small number of companies (five or six) responsible for all the processed food in our grocery stores (many thousands of different individual labels) are making lots of money and we have to remember that is their bottom line - profit. Nothing wrong with profit. We just have to remember that our health is not their main goal - despite what the advertisements say!
So how do you choose when you are in the store? Here are some tips:
1. Michael Pollan has some specific 'rules' you can follow and they are reduced to three main ones: Eat food (the less processed the better; look for the least number of ingredients, and terms you can understand and know what they are), not too much (portions are out of whack in restaurants - and perhaps you your plates at home) and mostly plants (he is not against meat but fruits and vegetables are the healthier choice overall).
2. Stay on the outside edge of the grocery store. That is where you can find the healthier options for the most part.
3. Use something like NuVal as a neutral help for which item (among the 20 feet of bread in the bread aisle for example) is healthier. (Neutral is important: These guys are unattached from the food industry so they can give ratings based on science and not on who pays them the most.) I'm a bit frustrated at the expense ($20 per month) but that is the challenge. The Big Food companies are spending plenty to get us to eat the unhealthy stuff; we'll have to pay something to get the best info on what are the healthiest options.
4. Use resources like Cancer Fighting Kitchen - when you eat healthy for cancer you are eating healthy for life. Rebecca Katz has books and workshops and more.