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• Deciphering the grocery store

Healthy eating is no longer a suggestion, it’s a necessity. The high-sodium, high-calorie processed foods that have become a staple of many American diets are contributing to skyrocketing numbers of people suffering from obesity and the health risks that come with it. But how do Americans know what to buy when grocery stores are stocked with such unhealthy options? How does one separate the healthy from the unhealthy?

Melissa Smith, registered dietician and licensed dietician nutritionist at Mettler Center in Champaign, is trying to help CU residents answer those questions. Mettler conducts monthly grocery store tours in order to teach people what to buy when grocery shopping.

“All of the food is real life,” Smith said. She shows tour participants, many of whom are her clients, that it is possible to find healthy alternatives at local grocery stores.

The first stop on Smith’s tour is the produce section. She focuses on color and serving size when selecting fruit.

“If your hand can close over it, it’s about one serving of fruit,” Smith said while holding an apple.

Kimberly Vanengelenburg, one of Smith’s clients on the tour, was unaware of this serving size.

“I was probably eating two or three servings and counting it as one fruit,” Vanengelenburg said. “I am going to eat half and save the other half for later in the day.”

When choosing vegetables, look for leafy, green ones, Smith said. She suggests adding baby spinach, kale and bright peppers to a salad.

“But who wants to pay $1.99 per pepper?” she asked the group of seven women. Smith held up a package of Old El Paso mini peppers. They are easily consumed in one meal because they are smaller, she said.

Smith called the next stop, the area with prepared sandwiches, subs and salads, the “do not enter zone.” Smith said that although these foods are convenient, they are high in fat and salt content.

“Steer clear of anything that comes in a big tub that looks like mayo,” she said.

Smith also said that, though protein is vital for a healthy diet, it is easy to overconsume. She suggests buying beans or fish, such as salmon, in order to meet the body’s nutrient needs.

“Farm-raised fish are like the couch potatoes of the fish family,” Smith said. Instead, she said to choose wild breeds.

Smith then led the group down the chips and snack food aisle.

“This is out of sight, out of mind,” she said. Smith did stop at the end of the aisle to grab one of her favorite treats — Vic’s light popcorn. One serving is three cups of pre-popped corn and only contains 130 calories.

Smith also recommends TLC packaged cookies by Kashi and Kellogg’s Multi-Grain All Bran crackers. Another favorite are Ak-Mak crackers. One serving has five grams of fiber and 100 calories.

Throughout the tour, Smith focused on caloric content and serving size. She notes soups can contain more calories than people expect and advises staying away from cream-based or white soups. Instead, buy tomato-based kinds. Smith likes southwestern style Select Harvest soup.

Smith ended the tour in the “Mecca of the busy lifestyle.” Entrée dinners like Smart Ones and Lean Cuisine stand out behind the glass doors. Smith said these items are alright as long as shoppers buy low sodium varieties and watch serving sizes.

“We can eat our foods, we just need to be aware of what we’re eating,” Smith said.

Sherry Fenwick, a client from Champaign, said she will now take the time to look at what she is putting in her shopping cart.

“I’ve learned a lot from [Smith] as far as reading labels and what I’m supposed to be eating,” Fenwick said.

“By showing where foods are and talking about portion size, I hope that it engraves good habits,” Smith said. “People will eat to live and not live to eat.”