The grocery store can be confusing and exhausting these days, particularly when straying from the produce department or the health-conscious co-op. To help navigate the aisles, I’ll give you my pick each week on a different type of food that might be purchased in a standard grocery store. Keep in mind, a healthy diet is based predominantly on whole, natural foods. My pick is your best bet among brand-name products, not necessarily the best thing to eat. Also, review the ingredients list periodically on these foods because brands frequently change their recipes without notification.
Amy’s picks from crackers:
Wasa Hearty or Whole Grain
Melba Snacks, Whole Grain variety
Wild Harvest Organic Stoneground Wheat
Nabisco Triscuit, Hint of Salt
Kashi, Heart to Heart
Why: The vast majority of crackers available in your basic grocery store are nutritional duds. To find the best of the worst, compare the sodium, fiber, and trans fat content. Choose a cracker that is among the lowest in sodium, the highest in fiber, and does not contain “partially hydrogenated oils” in the ingredients list. Keep serving sizes in mind when making comparisons across brands. You should also look for a whole grain (which provides the fiber among other nutrients) as the first ingredient. Ritz “whole grain” crackers , for example, claim to contain whole grains yet the first ingredient is an enriched fiber (a.k.a. not a whole grain).