The Healthy Shopper has been helping Canadians cut harmful ingredients from their diets, personal care and household products by making suggestions of great, healthier products to choose.
AVOID the “Scary 7” ingredients:
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Trans fats
- MSG (Monosodium glutamate)
- Artificial sweeteners
- Artificial colours
- Artificial flavours
- Preservatives
The Healthy Shopper offers a coupon book that allows Canadians to try out high-quality natural and organic products at more affordable prices. I know that when it comes to trying out new products, it is easier to take the “risk” associated when I can purchase the product at a discounted price by using a coupon. Randy Boyer and Andrea Donsky have been sharing tips with Canadians since 1999!
Don’t forget, if you are looking for some tips for how to choose healthier options, The Healthy Shopper also has a wonderful, very visual book called Unjunk Your Junk Food.
The Healthy Shopper Spring Picks are available in many stores across the country.
I am working on my food photography, but in the mean time, my friend Jennifer from Moms vs the Boys has generously given me permission to use her beautiful photos!
The Maison Orphée virgin coconut oil is definitely one of my favourites this time around! This oil is cold pressed, organic and unrefined that retains its nutritional properties. This coconut oil is by far my most favourite coconut oil that I have ever tried due to its light coconut flavour, something that I really enjoy. Maison Orphée’s products have not been genetically modified or treated with chemical fertilizers.
Did you know that Earth Balance makes natural buttery spreads and nut butters that don’t have to be stirred. I love eating more natural nut butters, but it drives me absolutely crazy that they need to be stirred every time, now I don’t have to which is such a bonus! Earth Balance Buttery Spreads are gluten free, have 0g of trans fat and never contain GMOs, emulsifiers, artificial preservatives, flavours or colours.
The organic barbeque sauces from Simply Natural, are full of unique and lovely flavours that are a tasty alternative to traditional barbeque sauces. They come in three organic flavours: tangy, smoky and honey. The important thing to me in these sauces is that they do not contain high fructose corn syrup which is one of the “Scary 7” ingredients the Healthy Shopper recommends avoiding when possible.
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Olympic Dairy’s organic milk, cream cheese, sour cream and yogurt are definitely the creamiest I’ve ever tried. They are 100% naturally rich and are wonderful additions to smoothies, salad dressings fresh fruit salad or to dips. They are made without preservatives, gluten or gelatins.
sodium citrate and several others…..so hard to know all the ones you should stay away from.
It’s hard to stay away from alot of foods because they contain pretty much the same ing. and it’s to costly for me to buy organic or natural which I would love to do, but I won’t buy anything that is high in trans or sat. fats
Salt…always try to stay away from salt
Honestly, don’t conciously stay away from anything, but do buy healthy and not much processed food
I try to stay away from trans fats.
I avoid buying foods that are high in fat and sugar. I definitely look for organic non-processed foods more often now
trans fats, palm oil, corn syrup, aspartame, MSG…..GMO
i try to avoid foods high in sugar and salt.
I try to stay away from food that is high in saturated fat
I’d try to stay away from fatty foods and MSG
I try to stay away from all 7but definitely MSG, high fructose corn syrup and artificial anything
I almost always avoid hydrogenated oils, artificial food colouring, and artficial flavouring.
I try to stay away from anything I can’t pronounce! Especially artificial colorings and flavorings.
I try to stay away from MSG and hydrogenated oils.
I try to stay away from to much sodium.
I will not buy anything with artificial sweeteners in it.
I won’t buy anything with MSG in it
I try to stay away from product with high sodium content, and artificial sweetners
High fructose corn syrup
pretty much all processed food. high fructose corn syrup / glucose / fructose most definitely.
I try to avoid high-fructose corn syrup and too many additives and preservatives.
I try to stay away from high-fructose corn syrup.
I avoid a high sugar or sodium content.
I try to avoid anything I can’t pronounce!
High sugar, high fats , salt , high carbohydrates because that makes sugar in your body.
DOREEN LAMOUREUX
Sugar
I try to avoid products high in sugar, fats, salt.
In addition to the 7 you listed I also avoid sorbitol and GMO’s.
I try to avoid high fat/sugar/sodium. As well as fake sugar.
Sugar, artificial sweeteners, high sodium, excessive preservatives, food coloring
I stay away from slat, sugar and fats when buying products.
i stay away from msg
I try to avoid trans fats and triglicerides
Sodium and wheat are the two I try to stay away from.
Sugar, sodium, anything processed
I refuse to eat anything with Trans fat or any syrups like corn, glucose etc. I just rarelt eat any processed foods
I stay away from corn syrup and sodium. Yuck!
no trans fats, always reading labels to avoid added sugars in any form and to find low sodium foods; usually only purchase unprocessed foods. thanks
Msg and sodium
I stay away from High Fructose Corn Syrup and MSG.
Cheers.
I try to avoid trans fats & high fructose corn syrup. I’m a big label reader!!
My family and I try to eat as natural as possible. Plant our own garden and raise our own chickens. Great to see more natural products on the market!
I try to stay away from anything “processed” beyond what I might do myself, anything not made from “real” foods, and anything containing gluten, trans fats, carageenan, corn or corn syrup, colorings, MSG, parabens, sulfites or sulfates, hormones and/or antibiotics. Shopping has become a real time-consuming process for me, and I grow as much food as I can at home.
I try to stay away from food that are really high in fat, sodium or high fructose but it is hard.
High fructose corn syrup!!
I try to avoid artificial sweeteners.
I try and stay away from MSG and trans fats.
When shopping since I am celiac I have to avoid gluten, but we also try to avoid any ingredient that is difficult to pronounce, artificial sweeteners, GMO ingredients.
I try and stay away from artificial sweetners
Artificial sweeteners and high milk fat levels, as milk fat= lactose
I try to stay away from transfats. I’ve also found that now that I eat fewer processed foods many of the ones I used to like are so high in sodium that I don’t like the taste of them any more.
high sugar content
Stay away from sugar, high fat and sodium products.
Florence C
MSG and high sugar content especially
I stay away from sugar, sodium and triclycerides
MSG and dyes.
I stay away from Aspartame or similar sweetners
I try to stay away from anything with MSG & high saturated fat
Gluten, msg and artificial sweeteners 🙂
I avoid high sugar, high sodium foods and I don’t give the kids artificially sweetened products.
I avoid corn syrup, MSG and any artificial sugar ingredients.
Ingredients with Gluten, high sodium, MSG and sugar
I try to stay away from gluten,high sugar,MSG products
I try to avoid sugar.
fatty foods
I try to avoid salt and always go for the reduced sodium options where available
I try to stay away from anything with MSG in it.
I try to avoid sodium and artificial sweetener
I try to avoid aspartame
Rafflecopter name: Anu Chopra
MSG
We don’t try to stay away from much, but i guess msg is one.
Anything with Aspartame now!
I try to stay away from all artificial sweeteners like Aspartame
I try to stay away from most processed foods, and aspartame.
I try to stay away from anything artificial – sweeteners, colours or flavours
artificial colours if possible
When I shop for food I avoid artificial sweeteners, vegetable oils (other than coconut), and as many artificial ingredients as I can.
I avoid artificial sweeteners and high salt contents
I try to stay away from artificial sweeteners like Aspartame, Sucralose, etc. (Sarai)
i try to stay away from high levels of salt, and aspartame
I like to stay away from aspartame and salt
I try to stay away from high fructose corn syrup
High amounts of sugar. I have been slowly taking it out of our diet. I have already taken most of the sodium out.
I avoid artificial sweetners of any kind.
GMO, MSG 🙂
All of the above….95% of the meals in our house are made from all natural ingredients. I make my own hummus from dried chick peas for snacks, fresh fruit & veggies, grain fed organic meats etc. That’s not to say the girls don’t get treats – they do just not too often.
I try to stay away from MSG, gluten, and high-fructose corn syrup.
I try and stay away from sodium!!!!!
I try to stay away from the bakery
I always avoid aspartame and artificial sugars.
high fructose corn syrup
I try to stay away from artificial sweeteners.
Msg
When I shop, I try to stay away from the Bakery area and high fat and high sugar ingredients. It’s quite a struggle sometimes.
I try to stay away from artificial sweeteners and sugar,
I try to stay away from things high in carbs (my son is diabetic)
I stay away from artificial sweeteners and dyes.
I try to stay away from artificial sweeteners
I try to stay away from aspartame, msg and soy
I stay away from artificial flavours, colours and sweetners.
I try to stay away from fast foods and candy of all kinds.
I stay away from any animal products. Thank you!
I try to stay away items that have high sodium.
I try to stay away from anything with artificial colours or flavours, a lot of sodium and trans fat
I try to stay away from high fructose corn syrup
The snack aisle like chips, I try, didn’t say I succeed lol
I try to stay away from the junk food isle , however the kids tend to know exactly where that isle is. lol
i try to not get anything with glucose/fructose in it since thats another word for High-fructose corn syrup
Chips!!! I prefer salty chips or Doritos over chocolate anyday!!
Anything way overpriced with less value for the money. Other than that.
I keep an eye out for anything with MSG In it.
I stay away from anything with high fructose corn syrup in it.
We try to avoid most artificial sweetners, specifically anything with Splenda in it.
I avoid anything with MSG in it.
artificial colouring
We try to stay away from sugar..
high fructose corn syrup
We try to stay away from artificial colors and msg
I try to stay away from corn syrup and from Red dye 40.
aspartame for sure, and msg! We try to eat Paleo.
artificial colouring and HF corn syrup
Mostly things that I can’t pronounce. =)
Hey, that’s weird.. this contest form is still taking entries?? Its June 1st today.
Thanks for letting me know – there must have been a technical glitch because when I logged into my account, it was still running, but showing that it ended when it was supposed to end!
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