If we all spent as much time reading nutrition labels as experts tell us to, supermarkets would have to start installing more cushy chairs and coffee bars than Barnes & Noble. Which may be what inspired two gods of healthy eating -- Harvard's legendary nutrition guru, Walter Willett, MD, and Mollie Katzen, author of the groundbreaking Moosewood Cookbook -- to name names in their latest book: Eat, Drink, and Weigh Less.
The book lists brands for the foods that make grocery shoppers crazy: either those where there are so many choices (bread, cereal) that you just want to throw in the towel -- especially if your shopping cart is loaded with kids as well as cartons -- or those that sound healthy but often are sugar and calorie extravaganzas (many energy bars, tricked-up yogurts).
In Willett and Katzen's words, either "bring your glasses when shopping for breads, crackers, bars, yogurt, smoothies, and even veggie burgers -- the calorie counts and nutritional profiles of these items can vary wildly." Or bring this handy list of the healthiest brands, which does the legwork for you. Although they name more brands in the book, we've picked out the most widely available. If it's on this list, consider it blessed.
BREAD
Pepperidge Farm sliced bread
100% Whole Wheat Thin Sliced
Carb-Style Soft 100% Whole Wheat
7 Grains Lifeworks Wheat
7 Grains Natural Whole Grain
Country Hearth Stone Ground 100% Whole Wheat sliced bread
Thomas's English muffins
Hearty Grain 100% Whole Wheat
Hearty Grain 12 Grain
Roman Meal Multi-Grain hamburger buns
CEREAL
Wheaties
Whole-Grain Total
Kashi GoLean
Old-Fashioned Quaker Oats
Wheatena
CRACKERS
Wheat Thins Multi-Grain
Triscuit Thin Crisps
YOGURT
Dannon Light 'n Fit (regular, Carb Control, and Creamy)
Stonyfield Farm MOOve Over Sugar
Yoplait Light
SMOOTHIES
Stonyfield Farm Light Smoothie
Yoplait Smoothie Light
Dannon Light 'n Fit Smoothie
PROTEIN BARS
Pria Complete Nutrition bars and CarbSelect bars
Luna bars
Kashi GoLean Crunchy bar and Roll bar
VEGGIE BURGERS
Boca
Original
All-American Flame Grilled
Grilled Vegetable
Roasted Onion
Roasted Garlic
Gardenburger
Original
Sun-Dried Tomato-Basil
Veggie Medley
Black Bean
Morningstar Farms Better 'n Burgers
Not only will this list streamline your grocery time, but shopping from it could also help you blow off a few birthdays. Because eating a diverse diet based around foods like these -- low in calories and high in nutrients -- can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger.

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