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… or like Odysseus sailing by the three sirens trying to lure him to his death with their beautiful music.
… or machete-chopping your way through a thick jungle in search of buried treasure.
No matter which section of the grocery store you steer your cart through, you have to push aside the unhealthy foods that threaten to entangle you in your quest toward healthy nuggets.
It's almost like you need a guide.
Last week, registered dietitian Jacqui Zimmerman did just that. She donned her virtual explorer's hat and guided a group of people, who wanted to eat healthier, through Weis Market on Fruitville Pike. The goal: Give shoppers tips to better navigate the store.
IN THE DELI
"You can get a lot of good and a lot of bad in the deli section," Zimmerman, who works for Lancaster General's Wellness Center, said.
The main pitfall in the deli is high salt. People on restricted salt diets should consume less than 2,000 mg of salt, she said. Even healthy people should keep salt intake under 2,300 mg, (about 1 teaspoon).Processed food, prepared food and canned food tend to be high in salt. However, the deli has healthy options, such as store-brand, low-sodium turkey breast or Heidi Ann cheese.
Shoppers should ask to see nutrition facts on the long deli rolls of meat and cheese, said Cheryl Gamber, one of Weis Markets' dietitians who also accompanied the shoppers.
IN THE BAKERY AND BREAD AISLES
The bakery and bread sections are not off-limits for healthy eaters, Zimmerman said, if you limit portion size and buy whole grains.
When buying prepackaged breads, examine the ingredients, looking for evidence of whole grains. Don't just go by a label that says "7-grain bread." The flours in the bread should be whole-grain flours — wheat flour, rye flour, soy flour, etc. — not enriched flour. Enriched flour never has the same nutritional value in it as flour made from the complete grain, she said.
Whole grains are excellent sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, Zimmerman said. You can bolster the nutritional values of other foods, such as pancakes, with wheat germ and wheat bran.
FRESH AND FROZEN FRUITS AND VEGGIES
"When you pull something out of the ground, that is when it is at the peak of its nutritional value," Zimmerman said. It also tends to be when vegetables are cheapest, if you are buying produce grown locally.
Pre-frozen vegetables are excellent nutritional options for adding to low-salt soups, casseroles, etc. Generally speaking, they are picked and frozen quickly and therefore are as nutritious as what we can freeze ourselves.
To eat a well-balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, Zimmerman suggested eating many different colors of vegetables, because the colors are created by different kinds of phytochemicals. Phytochemicals have protective, or disease-preventive, benefits.
"It's a good idea to make your dinner as colorful as possible," she said.
The produce aisle is also where you will find fresh herbs. Cook with a combination of herbs as you cut down on salt.
"People have developed the idea that eating healthy isn't tasty," Zimmerman said. Learning to cook with herbs helps change that perception.
MEAT AISLE
Fish, especially salmon and tuna, are meats that come with healthy kinds of fat, Zimmerman said.
Salmon and tuna are full of omega-3 fatty acids, which are associated with lowering LDL cholesterol and keeping overall cholesterol in a healthy range.
Choose beef cuts with round or loin in their name, she said. Ground turkey can be substituted for ground beef, but even then you have to watch the labeling. Ground turkey is sold with varied levels of fat.
Meats of all kinds provide protein, Zimmerman said, but many Americans get more protein than they need. Five and a-half ounces of meat a day gives the average person sufficient protein.
Beans, nuts, soy milk, eggs and cheese, dairy and tofu also provide protein.
ORGANIC
"People think if it's organic, it will be healthy," Zimmerman said. "But be careful, you still have to look at the labels."
Organic food can contain a lot of fat and sugar, just like non-organic products.
Weis has whole-grain couscous in its organic section. The teeny balls of pasta are healthier when they contain whole grain, Zimmerman said.
Organic fruits and vegetables have the same amount of nutrients as those grown with pesticides, she said. However, she later cautioned against the dirty dozen — 12 fruits and vegetables that are eaten with their skin. (See below). "They tend to take up a lot of pesticides," she said.
OILS, SALAD DRESSINGS
Eating low-fat or no-fat salad dressing might not be as healthy as you think, Zimmerman warned.
The trade-off can be just as unhealthy, the dietitian warned. Often manufacturers increase the sugar and salt content to offset the loss of taste after fat's been lost.
For example, regular mayonnaise has 40 mg of sodium, but lite and low-fat mayonnaise have 130 mg of sodium.
It's the same with ice cream: Sugar-free ice cream tends to have a lot of fat in it.
One of the shoppers, Jim Mehl of Lancaster, said the dietitian reinforced a lot of the same information he learned in heart rehabilitation.
"What I know is you have to be really careful shopping and read your labels," he said.
The tour convinced Kati Gegg of Lancaster to pay more attention to sodium content. She will also pay more attention to whole-grain products, and bolster her diet with fruits and vegetables.
"I just want to start living healthier," she said.
Tricks and tips
• As an alternative to buying deli meats, buy prepackaged Healthy One sliced meats, which are low in fat and sodium and last longer than deli meats.
• Slice leftover chicken or turkey breast to use in sandwiches instead of buying deli meats.
• Trim hard fat from meats.
• Freeze extra fruit and vegetables when they are in season and, usually, least expensive, so you have healthy choices in the winter.
• Steam vegetables rather than boil them, to maintain more of the nutrients.
• Add olives to a recipe instead of salt. You get the salty taste and healthy oil.
• To stretch soup — which tends to have high sodium content even when labeled low-sodium — add low-salt diced tomatoes and beans to make a heartier, more filling meal.
Sources: Dietitians Jacqui Zimmerman and Cheryl Gamber
These fruits and vegetables are more likely than others to contain pesticides because we eat the skin, according to Zimmerman.
If use of pesticides concerns you, consider buying organic versions of these healthy foods:
1. Apples
2. Peppers
3. Celery
4.Cherries
5. Grapes
6. Nectarines
7. Peaches
8. Peas
9. Potatoes
10. Spinach
11. Strawberries
12. Raspberries
More Healthy Eating Tours
• Tuesday, Sept. 23; 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Weis Markets, 1603 Lincoln Highway East
• Tuesday, Sept. 9, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Weis Markets, 1700 Fruitville Pike
Registration is required at 1-800-341-2121. Cost is $10 to register, but following the tour, participants will receive a $10 Weis Markets gift card.
E-mail: lespenshade@lnpnews.com
