What are the healthiest foods at the supermarket?
Nikki Bezzant talks us through the products that really deliver on nutrition and some others with only a 'health halo'.
When it comes to food, 'processed' doesn't always mean bad, Nikki says.
"Not many of us have got the time to make our own cereal from scratch or roast our own fava beans."
Many products that are marketed with keywords such as 'organic', 'natural', or 'no refined sugar', don't deliver on nutrition, she says.
Here are some of the winners:
Best Dairy: Anchor Protein+ plain yoghurt
"This is a really good source of protein and a good source of protein you can have throughout the day … spreading it throughout the day is really key. It tastes delicious, it's unsweetened and it's nice and thick and creamy. We liked everything about it, really. We think it's great."
Best Organic: Waitoa Gluten-Free Free Range Chicken Tenders
"Short of crumbing your own at home, this is a really good product. It's a convenient food that is pretty good, and tasty, as well."
Best Drink: Mama's Brew Shop Kombucha Love and Warrior
Best Spread: Pic's Crunchy Peanut Butter No Salt
And some products that aren't as healthy as they seem:
Heinz Little Kids Fruit & Veg Shredz
"They're super high in sugar… They stick to your teeth something shocking. And that is appallingly bad for dentail heealth, especially for kids. These have got more sugar than some of the fruit bars with added sugar in them."
Eat Real Veggie and Kale Straws
"There's no difference, really, between those and potato chips"
Gullon No Sugar Added Breakfast Biscuits
"It should tell you in the name. It's probably not the best breakfast for you."
These also contain the old-fashioned sweetener manitol which is known to have laxative effects, Nikki says.
"There's enough in more than two of these to give you a little bit of an issue."
Wholesome Fair Trade Organic Raw Blue Agave
While agave is lower-GI than sugar, this is 90 precent fructose – a kind of sugar with its own issues, she says.
"Wholesome" is not really the right word."
Check out the other winners, losers and highly commended products here:
The full list will be published in the January 2018 issue of the Healthy Food Guide.
