Aisle-by-Aisle Label Reading
Next time you go grocery shopping, you can be the family's Label Detective! Here is what to look for in each aisle:
Cereal aisle: Look for cereals where whole grain is the FIRST ingredient and sugar is under 6g per serving. Many kids' cereals have 10-15g of sugar per serving — that is like eating candy for breakfast!
Snack aisle: Compare crackers. Whole wheat crackers with 3-5 ingredients are usually better than cheese crackers with 20+ ingredients. Check chips — some have 3 ingredients (potatoes, oil, salt) while others have a long mystery list.
Yogurt section: Plain yogurt + your own fruit beats flavored yogurt every time. Flavored yogurts can have as much sugar as ice cream!
Juice and drinks: Look for '100% juice' — not 'juice drink' or 'juice cocktail.' Better yet, choose water and eat whole fruit.
Bread aisle: The first ingredient should be 'whole wheat flour' — NOT 'enriched wheat flour' (that is white flour in disguise).