Nutritionist offers supermarket tours

Scanning supermarket shelves for foods to keep the centimetres at bay can be confusing among a myriad of ‘‘light’’, ‘‘fat-free’’ and ‘‘healthy’’ options, but local nutritionists want to help shoppers demystify labels and cut through the fat with a free supermarket tour.

Bunbury Community Health nutrition coordinators Leanne Maasikas and Wendy Baker are offering a free Shop Til You Drop supermarket tour, to be held during Healthy Weight Week, to help shoppers get shipshape.

Ms Maasikas said many shoppers fall into the trap of believing languageon the front of food packets.

‘‘We’re going to be looking at words such as ‘light’ and what that actually means,’’ she said.

‘‘Often people think that is low in fat or low in kilojoules but it can relate to anything, such as flavour, taste or how much salt is in that packet.

‘‘So people can often think they’re buying something that will help them with their weight-loss journey but it is not always the best choice to make.’’

Ms Maasikas said other terms that should trigger shoppers to doublecheck nutrition panels included ‘‘reduced fat’’ and ‘‘97 per cent fat-free’’.

The tour will teach consumers to pay attention to the total amount of fat, sugar and salt in a product.

‘‘On the tour we also give people a little pocket guide with all the numbers on so they can take it home and look at it when they’re shopping.’’

The supermarket tour also ties inwith New Year weight-loss resolutions and Ms Maasikas said it could help make sure dieters are keeping on the right path to losing weight.

The Shop Til You Drop supermarket tour will be held on January 27 from 10am to noon at Coles supermarket at Parks Centre.

To register, contact Bunbury Health Services on 9795 2888.