Sugar hit

Sugar hits the headlines again, an app devised to help parents monitor how much sugar their child has each day. Do we need an app for that? How can you be sure you have monitored every little bit? Surely food labels do the job and this is just another reliance on technology rather than our own ability to make a sensible judgement?

The BBC ran a piece on it this morning which you can read here – if nothing else it includes the daily amount of sugar considered acceptable, which in itself should help us all monitor our own intake with or without the help of an app.

Make a shopping list

And more importantly, stick to it! If you make a list before you go shopping (and don’t go when you’re hungry), then you’re more likely to avoid temptation. Here are some tips that might help you make some healthier tips.

Avoid shopping at busy times (not always possible), but long queues mean more time for you to be tempted while waiting to be served, remember to check out the cheaper aisles – they could well offer healthier alternatives as some products are cheaper because they have less added to them.

Buy some healthy foods in bulk – that means you could make savings and you’ll have a healthy option to hand, if you’re time poor, why not buy pre-cut fruit, if it means you’re more likely to eat it then it’s worth the extra cost.

If you’re looking at labels – make sure you know what the ingredients are – very few natural foods have long lists! The more natural the better and there are a lot of good options for deliveries (locally I like Lets Grow Wild)heathyfruitandveg.

And don’t forget the freezer section – fruit and veg are particularly good, they are cheaper, frozen quickly (which means they keep in their nutrients) and have longer shelf life.

Happy shopping.