I have a question. What’s up with the health star rating system? Does it make sense to you? As a nutritionist, a find it curious, but what are your thoughts on it?
Over the next few weeks, I’m going to be looking further into it, showing you foods and asking your opinion on how many stars you think these foods should have, and playing a guessing game later on.
Let’s start with these two descriptions on two common foods. I’m calling one (A) and the other (B) How many stars would you give these two descriptions based on your opinion?
A) This is a whole food (which means it hasn’t been processed or changed much from its point of harvest), it is high in protein, which gives you energy, better muscle mass and keeps you full longer. It contains good fats for brain function, weight loss and to lower cholesterol, it is high in fibre for gut health, it has vitamin E for heart health, skin healing and anti-aging, it contains calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc and Vitamin K (Yes, there is such a thing) for bone health, it is also organic- so contains no pesticides in it. It can regulate your blood sugar levels. Multiple scientific studies have linked eating this food to lower cancer rates, lower heart disease, lower cholesterol, lower weight, more stable blood sugars, to name a few.
B) This is a processed whole wheat product. It contains wheat, which has been processed. It is therefore high in carbohydrates which is good for quick energy. It is not organic (although there is an organic version I would recommend), it may contain traces of pesticides and chemical residue. It has added sugar, added salt, barley malt extract, and added in is niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, folate and iron, which are good for energy and nervous system function. Certain studies (many carried out by the company making this food), have found this food to be beneficial to certain people who require high, quick access energy. I would agree with this also.
What would you give (A) and (B) a health star rating out of 5, based on what you know about food?
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