overhead view of a supermarket produce aisle

Our shopping guides

These shopping guides come from Nutrition Action. We don't accept any paid advertising or corporate or government donations. Any products we recommend have been vetted by our staff and are not advertisements by the manufacturers.

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jar of mayonnaise

Mayo: the misunderstood spread

Vegan or with cage-free eggs? Avocado or olive oil? Sriracha or curry? The mayo aisle is booming. Here’s how to find a good one.

Healthy Eating
butter on knife

Shopping for the best spreads

Want a spread that’s better than butter? The good news: Your days of worrying about trans fat are over. And some new spreads are healthy and delish. The bad news: To find the best spreads, you have to wade through misleading claims about coconut, butter, ghee, and more. Here’s what to look for. Scroll the page for some claims to ignore.

Healthy EatingLindsay Moyer, MS, RDN
two smoothies in glasses

Smoothie Shakedown: drinkable fruit...or fruity sugar drink?

“ Whole fruit!” says Jamba Juice, where you can “power up with clean energy” and “start drinking” your greens. “Smoothies with a purpose,” says Smoothie King, where you can choose from Fitness Blends, Slim Blends, and Wellness Blends, among others. Smoothies have a huge health halo. Do they deserve it? Even the best smoothie doesn’t hold a candle to a peach, a plum, carrots, or kale. Liquid calories don’t curb your appetite as well as fruits or vegetables that you chew. But some smoothies are 800-to-1,000-calorie sugar drinks, while others can rival a homemade blend of your favorite fruit and plain yogurt. Here’s how to see through the marketing schemes and scams.

Healthy Eating
produce section at grocery store

10 benefits of veggies that may surprise you

Vegetables are superstars. Nearly every diet—from Mediterranean to Paleo to Weight Watchers to DASH—wants a piece of them. Think you know your veggies? Some of these 10 things may surprise you.

Healthy Eating
scoops of various ice cream flavors

The inside scoop: how to find a better ice cream

Halo Top is now tops. The lower-calorie ice cream reportedly outsells all other pints. That’s why Breyers, Skinny Cow, Talenti, and even Ben & Jerry’s now offer calorie-conscious competitors. The upside: a pint of some ice creams has the same calories as a half cup of Häagen-Dazs. The downside: many labels imply that you can eat their ice cream by the pint. (Sigh.) Here’s how to find a less-fattening, but still delish, frozen dessert.

Healthy EatingLindsay Moyer, MS, RDN
bowls of grains

Finding the best frozen bowls

Bowls are in. Panera, Chipotle, Sweetgreen, and countless other eateries have jumped on the meal-in-a-bowl wagon. So why not the freezer case? The good news: a typical bowl is mostly plants. Many offer whole grains, veggies, beans or another protein, sauce, and maybe nuts or seeds. That often means more fiber, potassium, and unsaturated fat—and less refined grain, salt, and cheese—than typical frozen entrées. Here’s a guide to the best.

Healthy Eating
illustration of a cow with cuts of meat

Don't fall for tricky meat & poultry claims

It’s no secret that Americans need to cut back on meat. While we now eat more chicken than beef, we still eat too much red meat, especially beef. That’s bad news for our health and for the planet. People who eat more red meat—especially processed meat—have a higher risk of colon cancer, heart disease, and stroke. And it doesn’t help that misleading information about meat or poultry can trick even the most careful shoppers. Here’s what to watch out for.

Healthy EatingLindsay Moyer, MS, RDN
various milks splashing in cup

How to find the best non-dairy milk

Dairy is still king. Non-dairy reportedly makes up only about 9 percent of all milk sales. But plant milks keep inching up. Why? Non-dairy is better for the planet (and for animals). And many people believe that it’s better for their health. Clearly, all “milks” are not created equal.

Healthy EatingLindsay Moyer, MS, RDN