OK, we need to have a word about those Tasty videos on Facebook. I know they look deliciously amazing, but sharing how to make a chocolate croissant pastry ring from instant dough and chocolate chips is mean.

Yes, it looks delicious. Yes, it makes me want to lick my screen. But it’s a nutrition disaster, a heart attack on a plate, a fat-related train-wreck of epic proportions.

So many people eat badly because it’s cheap, easy and accessible. Showing people how to eat badly in 60 seconds flat makes it even easier and even more accessible. Last night I watched a beautiful spaghetti squash being stuffed with half-a-pound of fried chicken and a mother lode of cheese. It started so well, it ended so badly. Call the nutrition police!

Now listen, I am all for incredible food that knocks your taste buds out of the park, but I’m all for achieving life goals, too. There’s no doubt about it — the food you choose can literally build you up or knock you down. Everything in life gets better when you eat healthy food. Almost everything gets worse when you do not.

Better nutrition optimises your energy, motivation, concentration, mood, hormones, immune system and your ability to sleep soundly, rest and repair. Is that enough? Good! Then let’s get to it.

As a nutritionist, I have a lot of tips and tricks that make healthy eating easier. But there’s one simple thing that we can’t escape — that cooking from scratch is one of the most effective ways to stay healthy. It keeps grocery shopping simple too, as the vast majority of what you buy is fresh produce. However, in our fast-paced world, it pays to know your way round a grocery store. If you’re buying food industry products vs baseline ingredients, keep these tips in mind. They will help you sort the good from the bad and identify things that genuinely make your life healthier — not just easier.

Grocery store shopping tips

• Check serving sizes on labels: This is a food label fundamental. If you’re trying to figure out the nutrition information, you have to know how many servings you are — realistically — consuming. Many sugary drinks come in packages designed for single consumption, yet they contain two servings. Add it up!

• Know your sugars: Under “carbohydrates” you will see a “sugars” category. I wish they would list the sugars in teaspoons, as it would be easier to quantify. However the maths is very simple: 4 grams of “sugars” equals one teaspoon, so something that contains 20g sugar per serving contains five teaspoons of sugar per serving. Aside from the naturally-occurring sugars found in plain dairy or whole fruit, a four- to six-year-old should have no more than five teaspoons of sugar daily, a seven- to ten-year-old no more than six, and 11+ (which includes adults) no more than seven teaspoons. You’ll reach the max far quicker than you think. Start adding it up and see how often you go over.

• Figure out your fats: Fats are tricky to understand on labels, basically because this is an “it depends” category. In moderation, unprocessed plant-based saturated fats from nuts, olives, avocado and coconut are zero. Some fats from grass-fed meat or organic poultry are OK, too. However, try to keep the saturated fats from things such as sausages, bacon, confectionery and baked items to a minimum. Basically, don’t balk at the fat content of good quality nuts, but run like the wind from a factory-farmed sausage.

• Be sceptical: I’m an optimist. I like to see the good in everything. But in a grocery store it’s best to assume the worst. The packaging of some well-know fruit snacks suggest in nine different ways that their product is healthy: real fruit, preservative-free, low-fat, to name a few. Turn them over, however, and the ingredient list tells another story: corn syrup, sugar and food dyes. It should be illegal. Until it’s not, don’t believe the story that the marketing is telling you — check the ingredient list first.

• Make a list: Do make a list and try and stick to it. Don’t go shopping when you are hungry. Try to ONLY buy what you planned, although given supply issues in Bermuda you sometimes have to be flexible. This means you may have to swap chicken for salmon, or green beans for broccoli. But it doesn’t mean you get to swap apples for doughnuts. Sorry.…. But not after watching a Tasty video. In fact, don’t watch Tasty videos at all. Unfollow them immediately and don’t let them back, unless they develop some kind of health filter!

• Don’t take your children: Actually, do! Taking your kids shopping with you can be torturous. But it can also be amazing. Once they are old enough they can zoom off all over the store and return with the items you requested. Obviously they’ll come back with cookies and juice sometimes, too. Sometimes that will be OK and sometimes not — just check out the ingredients together and get rid of food dyes and trans-fat nasties. If you really are only getting the things on the list, tell them before they go in. Setting expectations is generally a win-win when it comes to parenting (not that I always ace this area).

• The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is the managing director of Natural Ltd and a fully qualified nutritional therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the U.K. Please note that she is not a registered dietitian. For details, please go to www.natural.bm or call 236-7511. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda