Getting A Guided Tour Of The Guiding Stars Program
We recently learned about the
Guiding Stars program offered to
PC Plus members. It is
FREE to join and well worth it. The Guiding Stars program works on an easy to understand algorithm.
Guiding Stars® scores foods based on a balance of credits and debits.
Foods are credited for vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, whole grains and omega-3s, and debited for saturated fats, trans fats, added sodium and added sugars. Items are rated impartially using an algorithm based on information from the food package or a Canadian nutrition database.
The food items are given a 1, 2 or 3 star rating, with 3 being the highest nutritional value. For example all of these berries received a 3 star rating
and so did these avocados (and yes that is a good deal on avocados).
Not sure what I mean when I say they were rated 3 stars? Look at the price and listed on the items above and then to the right of the price you will see a strip of blue with 3 white stars!
If the shelf tag has no stars, it simply means either:
a.) The food doesn’t meet the nutritional criteria for a Guiding Star. Of course, you can still enjoy these foods.Nobody is expected to eat star worthy foods all the time. Just consider balancing eating the foods you love with a healthy, active lifestyle. And, as always, you can read the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredient list to help you make informed choices that work best for you and your family.
b.) The food is not rated. Products like bottled water, dried spices, coffee and tea are not rated by Guiding Stars because they contain fewer than 5 calories per serving.
c.) The food hasn’t yet been rated. There is a chance that a new item has hit the shelf and has not yet gone through the full rating process. Check back during your next visit!
A Map To The Stars
Also while wandering the store I noticed a little tag that said PULL. My curious mind wanted to see what I could find. Have a look at what is was
It was an overview of the Guiding Stars program along with nutritional facts about the item displayed on the shelf, in this case it was about the nutrients that are found in nuts.
There is lots of great information about the Guiding Stars program on their website
GuidingStars.ca plus you will become knowledgeable while making your grocery list for the week.
Head to the
FOOD FINDER PAGE and type in some of the items on your list to see how they rated by Guiding Stars.
Additionally you can pick your local store from the list below and login with your PC Plus points login info and receive personalized information based on your purchases. Think of it as FREE ONLINE COACHING.
Where You Can Find The Guiding Stars Program?
Here in Kitchener Waterloo you can find the Guiding Stars Program at
- Zehrs
- No Frills
- Real Canadian Superstore
for those outside Kitchener Waterloo you can find it at the stores listed above as well as
Loblaws
Fortinos
valu-mart
Your Independent Grocer
Provigo
Atlantic Superstore
Dominion
Maxi
Maxi and Cie
Save Easy
We think this program will assist families with the shopping. Obviously not every item in your shopping cart will be a 3 star item. As you know we are all about all things in moderation when it comes to snacks and sweets, so this tool will very helpful when it comes to balancing your daily meals.
How Do Your Rate Guiding Stars?
Have you used the Guiding Stars program? Let us know in the comments if you think it gets a 3 star rating!
