Best food to buy at Woolies and Coles

SHOPPERS at Coles and Woolies keep making a simple mistake while buying their groceries. But there’s a simple way to ensure you make the best choices.

YOU can be forgiven for feeling confused when you head to the supermarket and try to make healthy choices.

Not only are there hundreds of different products in each food category but with plenty of claims including 97 per cent fat free, no added sugar, natural, organic and wholesome it is very easy to get confused.

Health magazine The Healthy Food Guide this week published the results of its annual awards in which dietitians rate the healthiest foods within each category you can find at supermarkets. This list is guaranteed to make your healthy shop a whole lot easier.

YOGHURT

Best: Rokeby Farms Whole Protein Swedish Style Quark Yoghurt

Swedish style yoghurt is so good nutritionally as it is significantly higher in protein than the average yoghurt, and particularly low in sugar. With 17g of protein in a single tub and a massive 500mg of calcium per serve, quark yoghurts, traditionally enjoyed in Europe, are a great choice. If though you struggle with the strong flavour of quark, Farmer’s Choice plain Greek yoghurt also rated highly.

BREAD

Best: Burgen Wholemeal Seeds

When it comes to bread, dense grain bread is generally best and Burgen Wholemeal & Seeds was unanimously voted the best choice nutritionally and as the reader favourite in the survey. With almost 30 per cent seeds, Burgen is naturally lower in carbohydrates than many loaves and packed full of fibre with 9g of fibre per serve. Another notable mention in the bread category goes to the Baker’s Life 85 per cent Lower Carb, Higher Protein Bread from Aldi which is also a great choice nutritionally.

Baby cucumbers are fantastic snacks to grab on the go.

LUNCH BOX SNACKS

Best: Perfection Fresh Baby Cucumbers

There are so many different lunch box snacks on the market and yet few are as sound as any nutritionist would want them to be. It comes as no surprise that the winner is a wholefood with baby cucumbers a great lunch box filler for adults and kids alike.

When it comes to more traditional packaged options, other good options were deemed to be the Petit Miam No Added Sugar Yoghurts, The Happy Snack Food Company Roasted Fav-va Beans and Messy Monkeys Snack Bars.

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BREAKFAST CEREAL

Best: Freedom Foods Barley & Traditional Porridge

When it comes to breakfast cereal, it is hard to go wrong with oat-based options. As well as Freedom Foods Barley & Traditional Porridge, Carman’s Gourmet Porridge Sachets also rated highly as did Freedom Foods Active Balance and Jordan’s Low Sugar Granola. Generally speaking, these cereals contains more fibre, more wholegrains and less added sugars than many breakfast cereals on the market.

BEST READY-MADE MEAL

Best: Woolworths Delicious Nutritious Beef & Tomato Casserole

There are so many ready meals to choose from in supermarkets, but when you take a closer look, many of them are packed with rice and pasta with very little protein or vegetables. The Woolworths Delicious Nutritious range generally contains a lot more vegetables than the average ready-to-go meal while the Super Nature bowls and meals also rate highly for their overall nutritional content.

BEST PANTRY STAPLE

Best: Cobram Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Keeping good quality Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil at home for cooking and dressings is a no-brainer but other key foods voted as the best in this category included Campbell’s Free Range Stock, Woolworths 4 Bean Mix (No Added Salt), Sunrice Brown Rice Cups and Sanitarium Smooth Peanut Butter (No Added Sugar) — all great foods to have on hand to whip up quick and easy, nutritious meals and snacks.

BEST VEGETARIAN FOOD

Best: Coles Southern Smoked Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers

Vegetarian and vegan foods are among the fastest growing products on supermarket shelves as demand for plant-based options continues to grow. These Coles burgers are gluten-free and contain 6g of protein and 6g of fibre per serve. Other notable mentions went to the Vegie Delights Savory Vegie Mince, and Herb and Garlic Sausages.

Susie Burrell is a nutritionist. Follow her on Twitter: @SusieBDiet