Health Star Rating

Do you look at the health star rating on your food products?

The health star rating is government initiative to help guide you and me to make healthier choices when buying food products not wholefoods.

It’s based on the ratio between the total energy to

- Saturated fat

- Sugar

- Sodium

- And the protein and fibre content.

Basically, it ensures that foods loaded with sugar, salt, or saturated fat don’t get a 5 stars. Sounds great. The potential misleading part is, the rating is compared to other similar products, not against whole foods. So, your favorite protein bar might have a 4.5-star rating... but that's only compared to other protein bars.

VS

Example...

You might stumble upon a "healthy ice cream" with a dazzling 5-star rating because it has less sugar, less saturated fat, and some added protein.

Sure, It’s a better choice than regular ice cream.

But, by no means does this mean that a 4.5-star protein/chocolate bar is healthier than a 3.5-star Greek chicken salad.

The chicken is a better choice.

Sneaky but good

Food companies can simply look at the Health Star calculator and tweak their recipes to climb the rating ladder. That's not necessarily bad as they make the macronutrients ratio is ‘healthier’. However, the rating doesn’t account food additives. So, you could end up with a high star rating even with a bunch of potentially harmful ingredients.

So, when you're eyeing that Health Star Rating, remember it’s like comparing apples to apples... or protein bars to protein bars. Always keep your focus on whole foods loaded with good stuff like protein, healthy fats, and fiber.