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Reducing unhealthy fats, lowering sodium intake, and minimizing the use of sugars in our active-lifestyle diet are top-of-mind for all of us. And this means dedicating the time in the grocery store to diligently reading product labels in order to avoid the offending ingredients.

PC Blue Menu products make the task of label-reading easier. Not to mention they’ve made healthy food choices tasty and appetizing.

Leanne Speers, the Advertising & Marketing Director at HOMES Publishing Group, is also a type 1 diabetic. “I tried the Greek Yogurt Smoothie bars and they were delicious!” said Speers. “Only 17 grams of carbs per bar, too. That's low for a treat. They are smooth,creamy, flavourful - just scrumptious!”

The Publisher and President of HOMES Publishing Group, Michael Rosset, also sampled some PC Blue Menu products. “The peanut butter is delicious and unusually fluid, easier to spread,” said Rosset. “The juice is flavourful, not as sickly sweet as other brands, and yields a milder flavour.”

When the registered dietician with PC Blue Menu was consulted she exp - lained that the products also help customers make healthier choices more easily, thanks to new, simplified packaging highlights. The front of the package is identified with +/- indicating which nutrients there are more of and which have been reduced.

For instance, the average intake of sodium, daily, should be half a teaspoon to one teaspoon at the upper limit. However, we can't blame poor eating habits on any one nutrient; sodium, bad fats and sugar are all contributing factors. Look for foods with more fibre, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, whole-grains, vitamins and minerals, and reduce the intake of foods with added sodium, sugar, trans fat and saturated fat.

Other things to focus on to improve the quality of your eating habits are making sure you get your recommended servings of fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits (7-10 for adults), and paying attention to portion sizes.

More research continuously indicates there are benefits to consuming adequate vitamin D and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which many people do not get enough of in their diets. One of the key focuses with PC Blue Menu products is to add more omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to foods. And, last but not least is the focus on fibre in the PC Blue Menu brand. Many Canadians only get half of the recommended daily intake of fibre.

Registered Dietitians are on staff at select Loblaw and Superstore banner stores in Ontario to educate customers on healthier choices.

When you meet with a dietitian in one of the stores, they assess factors that can influence your nutrition needs. Age, gender, health conditions, medications, supplement use, activity level, and current eating and lifestyle habits are all part of this assessment. The information is used to help you set goals to improve eating habits, and factor in the stage at which you are ready to make changes.presidentschoice.ca