Photo Courtesy of Eastern Hope via Campbelltown Council SA website
Hands up, who would have liked to be on the Healthier Lifestyle Supermarket Tour with Queen Lou (from Cambelltown Moonlight Markets 1 and 2, Conversations over Chivito and Sunday Sessions on the #Riverbank) and me? 
Where there’s life, there’s HOPE I always say!
Courtesy of the Campbelltown Council and City of Norwood Paynham, Eastern Hope (stands for Healthier Options for Physical Activity and Eating), I got to experience this terrific FREE tour available to all locals; young or old; groups welcomed too!
With a nickname like FANG, you can only imagine HOW excited I am to be sharing my food day with you!
The goal of the program is to raise more awareness of healthier eating choices based on the Australian Guide to Healthy Food.
Today’s post is not about preaching, converting, or telling you what food wise you should do!
I believe life is about choices, but for today, you don’t have to believe that as it is all about the Healthier Lifestyle Supermarket Tour.
I am not a doctor, a nutritionist and always please seek professional care with any healthy concerns. 
A VERY BIG thanks in advance to our WONDERFUL guide Cheryl from the Norwood Payneham Council.
Cheryl was very professional, very knowledgeable and definitely “a people person” who answered all of our questions; we had MANY on the day! 
The Healthier Lifestyle Supermarket Tour reinforces “the health benefits of consuming adequate amounts of fruit and vegetables a day.”
Did you know the answer is Go for 2 & 5?; 2 fruit and 4 vegetables?
Hands up, HOW many people in Computerland consume that? 
Today’s post and this Healthier Lifestyle Supermarket Tour is NOT about embarrassing people for their current food choices, but to help people help themselves in “correctly identifying the serve sizes for fruit and vegetables.”
If you think of the the palm of your hand as a reference, that is about 100 grams (~3.5 ounces for my readers overseas today )
150 gram (~5.3 ounces) apple = 1 serve
150 gram (~5.3 ounces) orange = 1 serve
75 gram (~2.6 ounces) carrot = 1 serve
I “sense” most of you out in Computerland are um, well, grumbling, grizzling, or commenting to suggest that 1) that’s not much 
and with your BUSY lifestyle, 2) how could you add more fruit and vegetables in you food lifestyle.
I’m not usually a stats kind of gal, but did you know it takes 30 minutes of jogging to burn off the kilojoules in a 60 gram (~2.1 ounce) bar of chocolate?*
How many people jog 30 minutes a day?
Just asking! 
To work off a bucket of chips, it takes a 90 minute walk.*
Do YOU walk 90 minutes a day?
Just asking!
TIPS FOR GETTING YOUR 2 & 5
* chop veggies; add to an omelette or pancake*
* make meat go further by adding extra vegetables in stir-fry’s or casseroles*
Through the Healthier Lifestyle Supermarket Tour, Cheryl shares there are MANY factors per The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating that “help to shape and change the way we eat.”
Do you THINK food advertising influences “children of all ages” to “BUY, BUY, TRY and BUY?”
Packaging, brand colors, logos, television and print advertisements, even positioning of foods on shelves influences our food decisions.
Cultural and family background, time availability for shopping, cooking and food preparation, kinds of foods that are available and finances are all factors that change the way we think and eat.
Do YOU know HOW to properly interpret nutritional information panels on packaged foods?
Do YOU know HOW to identify “key nutrients of interest” when reading a label?
Understanding and interpreting nutritional claims used on packaged foods GENUINELY surprised BOTH Queen Lou and me!
I always say “our health is our wealth” and without health, our quality of life is less.
Wouldn’t YOU want to protect YOUR most important asset? YOU!
While I had previous knowledge of the information on the labels, I can tell you right now some of the products Queen Lou and I buy, picked up to compare were um, well, gulp….frightening! 
Yes, both Queen Lou and I were GREATLY surprised just like watching a magician at a magic show; all is NOT what it appears to be!
As a side note, Aussies love to using rhyming words to mean something; think of it like a phrase or words to replace the original word.
If someone is genuine surprised like Queen Lou and I were about reading labels, analyzing ingredients and nutritional values etc., in Australia in Aussie lingo (Australian language), we would say, “It’s a shocker Barry Crocker!”
For my readers overseas, as an analogy, one might say, “It’s a shocker Betty Crocker!”
Hopefully you are now smiling and or laughing with me!
Getting back to our Healthier Lifestyle Supermarket Tour eh?
Let’s look at bread….
DISCLAIMER: This post is NOT about concluding that one brand is better, more or less expensive than another or has anything to do with the particular food store our Healthier Lifestyle Supermarket Tour was conducted in.
The SOLE purpose is to continue to share HOW misleading and confusing reading labels – what to look for can be!
Trust me, after experiencing this tour, both Queen Lou and I were MUCH more aware of Food ingredients and health claims.
I cannot stress enough, ESPECIALLY to mums with children, HOW important taking the time to understand what you consume and prepare for your family is.
I don’t know about you, but other than sleeping and with a nickname like FANG, I have spent a LOT of time over the course of my life eating; and enjoying South Australian red wine, but that story will have to wait for another day!
“What do I look for?”, I “hear” you say?
Good question, especially today!
Sugars, Fibre, Sodium per 100 grams. (~3.5 ounces)
We chose white bread, wholemeal bread and multi-grain breads for analysis; the AIM being 7.5 grams per 100 grams of (~3.5 ounces) fibre, less than 400 mg (.0014 ounces) sodium, sugars with less than 15 grams (.5 ounces) per 100 grams (~3.5 ounces)
Less refined breads we concluded were healthier choices.
“What type of bread was best?”, I “hear” you ask?
Next time YOU are shopping worldwide, be a label reader!
Our very helpful guide Cheryl helped us analyze Cereals, Meat, Cheese, Yogurts and Crackers to name a few with VERY shocking but enlightening results!
MANY claims are made on food labels; make sure YOU know which are suitable for YOU!
I feel THIS passionate after experiencing this Healthier Lifestyle Supermarket Tour that I am going to continue with another blog post debunking some food label claims, food claim myths and health claims which will touch on Food Labeling Laws.
If you enjoyed this post, please share via Twitter and Facebook today!
All comments STILL make my day!
Do YOU have any food ingredient or labeling questions for me?
ASK away, ASK away and trust me, while it may seem overwhelming (when broken down into smaller bites — pun intended ), making healthier choices will be simple to swallow without compromising time and money!
Did you enjoy experiencing this Healthier Lifestyle Supermarket Tour through my words and eyes?
Was there anything I mentioned in this Healthier Lifestyle Supermarket Tour which caused YOU to be surprised?
South Aussies…Healthier choices options helping YOU help YOURSELF are just a phone call, fax or e-mail away!
Did I mention you also get some Healthier Lifestyle Supermarket Tour recipes for FREE?
Call, fax or e-mail Fiona Dunt,the Healthier Communities Coordinator today!
Phone: 08 8366 9222
Fax: 08 8337 3818
fdunt@campbelltown.sa.gov.au
Photo Courtesy of SA Community Foodies
SOURCE*
www.gofor2and5.com.au