Do you ever feel overwhelmed when shopping trying to read nutrition labels to find healthier options? It can be daunting and time-consuming comparing labels when there are so many products to choose from. If so, have you ever looked at the Health Star Rating?
The Health Star Rating is a front-of-pack labelling system that provides an at-a-glance overall health rating. It is calculated based on the amount of energy (kilojoules), saturated fat, total sugars, sodium (salt) and the presence of certain nutrients such as fibre and protein. The ratings range from half a start to five stars, with five stars being the healthiest rating and half a star being the least healthy.
So instead of having to pick multiple boxes off the shelves to compare which is the best option you can instead glance at the Health Star Rating and pick the product with the most stars. By choosing foods with a higher star rating, you can ensure you are choosing products low in nutrients we need a small amount of and high in essential nutrients. For example, if you were looking for crackers and one product had two stars, and another had four you could easily pick the four-star product knowing you made the healthier choice.
You might have also noticed the panel next to the Health Star Rating. It provides a snapshot of the nutrition panel showing the risk nutrients including, energy, saturated fat, sugar, sodium as well as positive nutrients like fibre, protein and calcium per 100 grams. This panel is another great tool to compare products, especially if you want to focus on a specific nutrient without having to turn the packet around and search through the nutrition label to find what you are looking for. For example, if you were looking at two products and one had 1g of saturated fat and the other had 5g you could easily see that the 1g option is a healthier choice. It may also say low or high under the amount in the product making it even easier to know if the product is a healthy or unhealthy choice.
So next time you are shopping, have a quick look at the Health Star Rating of the products you usually buy and see if there is a similar product with more stars.
Try this quinoa black bean and corn salad that is bound to have a high Health Star Rating!
TRY THIS WEEK’S RECIPE: Quinoa black bean and corn salad
Written by Andrea York (Accredited Practising Dietitian, Accredited Nutritionist from Healthy Lifestyles Australia)
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