A dietitian test drives Yuka
Header photo from Pexels
by Elizabeth Magee, LRD
Fueling our bodies with the foods we should be seems like it’s getting harder to figure out. So many mixed messages, people trying to make a buck – it’s confusing.
Information overload. Where do you start? One of my coworkers recently told me about an app to help you figure out what’s “healthy.”
It’s called Yuka. It gives foods (and cosmetics) a score from 0-100 with a rating of bad, poor, good or excellent, which is a bit extreme in my opinion. You scan the barcode and a rating immediately pops up. The scores are based on nutritional quality, presence of additives, and if they are organic or not.
I’ve been busy scanning all the things in the house. Things aren’t looking great here. Hahaha. Am I going to stop eating them? Probably not. Will I consider some things and how often I have them? Probably.
My list of EXCELLENT foods is short. And surprising:
- Spaghetti with meat Lean Cuisine 78/100. This surprised me. I don’t eat them often, but they’re nice to have in a pinch for lunch. Portion controlled, 10 grams of protein which I would consider low for myself. Sodium is 410 mg, so not awful for a frozen meal. Still, surprising to say the least.
- Roasted, salted almonds 90/100. I’ll agree here.
- Enriched elbow macaroni noodles 90/100. WHAT? They aren’t even whole grain!?!?
- Farm-Raised Cooked shrimp 84/100. Not much to add here, I would think farm raised would make it a lower score but I’m not making the rules here.
- Rao’s Homemade Marinara – yum!
GOOD – also an interesting list
- Jacks cheese pizza 51/100. I have no comment on how on earth this scores that high!
- Red’s Steak Cilantro and Lime Burrito 72/100. I love these! But, I realize its processed food – not my healthiest choice, but delish and quick.
- Village Extra Hot Salsa 69/100. I’ll continue to eat this in mass quantities.
- Dates 72/100. Makes no sense in my brain why this woudn’t be excellent. It’s a fruit, a whole food – and who’s over eating dates?
- Triscuits 60/100. Yes!!
POOR
- Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken Breasts (spicy) 33/100. I love these too!
- String cheese 34/100. Major disagreement from me here.
- Bubbl’r 39/100. I think compared to other energy drinks, this remains a good option.
- Light + Fit Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt 48/100. Still a great choice and so much better than some other snack options out there.
- Goodles 49/100. Higher protein than regular mac and cheese, still processed but I’m keeping them.
BAD
- Red’s Egg’wich 7/100. Too many additives and too much sodium – but a great,
- quick, high protein breakfast in my opinion.
- Tzatziki dip 4/100. I love this with triscuits or veggies, its not a high calorie dip – but according to Yuka, a bad choice (I’m still going to eat it).
- Sous Vide Egg Bites 4/100. A great portion controlled high protein breakfast that the kids actually eat! And they’re quick and great for on the run.
- Buttermilk pancake mix 3/100. Mostly due to sodium.
This is just a minor list of things in our house. Should we have less processed food? Yes, I won’t argue that. But it’s convenient and that’s what the kids will eat and I’m okay with it.
If you use the app, proceed with caution. You still need to think and compare your items to other choices you might be making. It can certainly help guide you, but I wouldn’t put all your eggs in this basket. Use your head and remember all the uninteresting things you’ve heard before – more whole foods, more fruits and veggies, lean proteins and whole grains. Really all foods can fit. I’ll stand by that!
Elizabeth Magee is a licensed registered dietitian. Her posts appear monthly on OYT.
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