Grocery Shopping Just Got Easier!

Have you ever stood in the aisle looking at all the products, trying to decipher the ingredient lists and the nutritional information only to throw up your hands and grab the item with the prettiest package?

I know how you feel. Just recently I was at a new store looking for some whole grain bread. I had about four different loaves all lined up trying to figure out which one to buy. They all had different pluses and minuses and I found myself getting pretty frustrated. AND I'M A HEALTH COACH!

Luckily for us David Katz, a nationally recognized authority on nutrition has come to our rescue. He got together with a team of nutrition and medical experts from leading universities and health organizations to create an algorithm that scores food based on its nutritional value.

The scores will be found on the price tag that is posted on the shelf in the grocery store. It will be easy to use because items will have a score of 1 thru 100. The higher the number, the better choice it is.

The thing that makes this scoring system different is that it is independent. It has been funded by Griffin Hospital without any funding from manufacturers or anyone interested in promoting their product. It also takes 30 different nutrients and nutritional factors into account so it is giving a very accurate representation. Here is a list of some of them:

Fiber
Folate
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B6
Potassium
Calcium
Zinc
Omega-3 fatty acids
Total bioflavanoids
Total carotenoids
Magnesium
Iron
Saturated fat
Trans fat
Sodium
Sugar
Cholesterol

Right now the scoring system can be found in Price Chopper stores on the east coast and Hy-vee stores in the Midwest. I heard that it was going to be in Mejier stores on Monday, April 27. I actually went into my local Meijer store to inquire about it and I was excited to find out that it is true, it will be available. I made sure to tell them how thrilled I was and that I would be sharing the information with everyone I knew.

I can't wait to go in and check out all the numbers and see where the different brands score. If you have a store that has the NuVal scoring system, I invite you to check it out. If not, you can make it known that you would love to see something like this in your local store. You can also go to the website and sign up to receive updates when new stores are available.