The recent food industry trend seems to involve two themes: convenience and organic. With that in mind, Robert Schueller, dietician and director of public relations with Melissa's Specialty Produce, gives us his top 10 healthy food picks of new (or relatively new) products on supermarket shelves:
1. More 100% Whole Wheat Bread Choices - Look for various brands of whole wheat hot dog and hamburger buns, along with new whole grain rolls.
2. A Better Multigrain Pasta - The Barilla Plus brand now has several pasta products that offer a more appealing alternative to the darker, chewier whole wheat pastas.
3. Whole Grain Lasagna Noodles - Westbrae Natural makes an Organic Whole Wheat Lasagna noodles with organic whole durum wheat flour.
4. Healthier Instant Oatmeal - Try the new, less-sugar options from Quaker for a healthier choice that tastes great.
5. Higher Omega-3 Eggs - One popular brand, Eggland's Best, reports that its eggs have 10 times more vitamin E and 3 times more omega-3s than regular eggs.
6. More Light Cream Cheese Options -
7. Activia (Dannon) Yogurt with Probiotic Culture - The "good" bacteria helps regulate your digestive system naturally. This stuff is low in fat and calories too.
8. Light Brie - Trader Joe's Light Brie, has 50% less fat and 30% fewer calories than the regular variety, and more brands are catching on.
9. Slow-Churned Light Ice Cream -Try the new Slow-Churned products from Dreyer's (Edy's) for some "light ice cream" converts.
10. Convenient Legumes – Like Edamame (green soybean), the healthy options are endless. Melissa's Produce now offers organic, ready-to-eat edamame and lentils.
Many new food items make their way onto supermarket shelves. And as with most things, some are better than others. Seriously - do we really need 10 flavors of ketchup? Watch out for strange products and gimmicky items - pick and choose wisely - dig deep and you’ll find some with great health benefits.
