ADIETICIAN will head a tour of an Altona North supermarket to promote healthy choices on the shelves, and combat the increase of diabetes in Australia.

Helen Taylor leads the tours, organised every two months by the Victorian branch of Diabetes Australia, and limits her groups to six to avoid blocking supermarket aisles.

“There are many popular myths about what is good and bad food, and most people who go on the tour get a few surprises,” Ms Taylor said.

“People don’t always think about fat as being an issue, they think if it’s sugar free then it’s okay.

“They may use sugar free chocolate, for example, but normal chocolate is actually better because it is lower in saturated fat.

“Our main emphasis with diabetes is looking at total fat and saturated fat in foods. We also look at carbohydrate and sugars.”

Ms Taylor said correcting misinformation can lead to welcome lifestyle changes for many diabetics, and learning how to read food labels, a key part of the tour, was particularly empowering for people.

“Sometimes people have been told they are not allowed to eat a certain food when it is fine, so we have to correct wrong information as well.

“It can expand the number of foods people can eat, and it increases their confidence when making food choices.”

Ms Taylor said diabetics and their carers usually take up the tours, although anyone interested in healthy eating was welcome to join a group.

Kathryn Cirone, dietician with Diabetes Australia Victoria, said supermarket tours had proved very successful because they were hands-on and easy for people to understand.

“People really enjoy meeting other people with diabetes, as well as learning about healthy eating at the point of sale.”

She said diet was the cornerstone of treatment for people with diabetes and it was vital in preventing the disease.

“There is such an enormous array of food to choose from, and so learning how to read labels and make healthy choices is an important part of management and prevention of diabetes,” Ms Cirone said.

The next supermarket tour in Hobsons Bay will take place on 10 August at Coles, in Central Square, Altona North.

Call Emma Flannery on 9667 1728 for more information.