{"id":34,"date":"2021-05-20T15:05:33","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T05:05:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/happyapplenutrition.com.au\/blog\/?p=34"},"modified":"2021-05-27T08:23:48","modified_gmt":"2021-05-26T22:23:48","slug":"health-star-ratings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/happyapplenutrition.com.au\/blog\/health-star-ratings\/","title":{"rendered":"Health Star Ratings"},"content":{"rendered":"

The health star system has sure sparked a lot of conversation in the media.\u00a0How do we use it?\u00a0Is it accurate?\u00a0Why don\u2019t all products have it?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

You would think that the Health Star Rating system would make it easier to choose healthier products, but when you pick up two products like juice and milk, it just makes things even more confusing!\u00a0<\/span>Who would have thought that orange juice would have been a healthier alternative to milk? Isn\u2019t juice high in sugar?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Relying on these\u00a0Health\u00a0Star\u00a0Ratings are not always a great idea if you\u2019re trying to choose healthy products off the shelf, that is, if you don\u2019t fully understand how these stars have been rated.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Let us explain! The\u00a0Health\u00a0Star\u00a0Rating system is great\u2026 if you know how it works.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Health\u00a0Star\u00a0Rating system is used for packaged products (i.e. NOT your fruit and veg).\u00a0Star ratings can vary from \u00bd star (least healthy) to 5 stars (most healthy).<\/span> \u00a0<\/span>You have probably noticed that not all packets contain the stars. That is because it is voluntary, meaning that the company who makes the products can choose whether or not to include it on the packaging.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>The stars are passed on the products nutrient profile, which is calculated using a specific \u2018Health\u00a0Star\u00a0Rating calculator\u2019. Stars are based on total energy (or kilojoules\/calories),\u00a0saturated fat, sugar and sodium (salt) per 100g or 100mL, for the specific food category. For example, the\u00a0sugar target will be different for yoghurts compared to fruit juice.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have done your maths correctly, you have probably noticed that energy + sugar + saturated fat + sodium = 4 stars, right? That\u2019s because companies can choose the final category to be assessed, whether it\u2019s fibre, protein, iron\u00a0e.t.c. In other words, if a company knows that their product is high in fibre, it is more likely to choose this as the final calculation to give the product a better chance of getting another star (sneaky business).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

AAAAAND, to confuse you even more, stars are modified based on the ingredients list, taking\u00a0in to\u00a0consideration the2\u00a0fruit, nut, vegetable and legume content of the product.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One IMPORTANT thing to remember is that the stars are comparing SIMILAR products only. For example, comparing one breakfast cereal to another, NOT a breakfast cereal to a tub of yoghurt. This is important if you are choosing a snack. If you are tossing up between a muesli bar and a yoghurt, don\u2019t rely on the health star system to give you the answer. Instead, put your label reading skills to use and determine for yourself!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If your brain doesn\u2019t hurt from reading that, then you are magnificent. For the rest of us, let\u2019s summarise! The\u00a0Health\u00a0Star\u00a0Rating\u00a0system is great for comparing SIMILAR products based on nutrient value, however you should not completely put aside your label reading skills. In total honesty though \u2013 label reading is hard work if you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing. If you want to become a master of label reading, book in with us, bring along some packets, and we can run you through it!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

–<\/h2>\n

Looking to lose 5-10kg without restrictive\u00a0diets? Book a free Game Plan call to learn how we can help you\u00a0and get complimentary customised nutrition\u00a0plan! Click here to book now<\/a> (limited spaces available).<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The health star system has sure sparked a lot of conversation in the media.\u00a0How do we use it?\u00a0Is it accurate?\u00a0Why don\u2019t all products have it?\u00a0 You would think that the Health Star Rating system would make it easier to choose healthier products, but when you pick up two products like juice and milk, it just […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-nutrition"],"yoast_head":"\nHealth Star Ratings - Happy Apple Nutrition<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/happyapplenutrition.com.au\/blog\/health-star-ratings\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Health Star Ratings - 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