By Nabula El Mourid – Founder of Supermarket Swap

Back-to-school season always Back-to-school season always arrives a little faster than we arrives a little faster than we expect. expect. One minute we’re still finding tinsel in the house and trying to remember what day it is, and the next we’re packing school bags, laying out uniforms and figuring out what on earth to put in the lunchbox again.

At Supermarket Swap, we spend our days reading ingredient lists so you don’t have to. And what we’ve learned is that tiny tweaks can make a huge difference. When you know what to look for, swapping just one or two items in the lunchbox can reduce additives, artificial colours and flavour enhancers, all while keeping things familiar and convenient.

With so much already on your mind, the last thing you need is to stand in the supermarket aisle second-guessing every snack. The good news? Making better choices doesn’t have to be overwhelming (and it doesn’t have to mean baking everything from scratch). Sometimes, it’s as simple as choosing one product over another.

Some of the products marketed for lunchboxes contain long ingredient lists and numbers we don’t recognise that might not be ideal for growing bodies. But right next to them, often just one shelf over, you’ll usually find a version made with only real, recognisable ingredients.

Here are some easy back-to-school swaps to get you started:

Swap This:
Uncle Tobys Muesli Bars Chewy Choc Chip 6 pack
INGREDIENTS: Muesli Blend: Uncle Tobys Rolled Oats (34%), Wheat (11%), Breakfast Cereal (Whole Grain Wheat (5%), Wheat Flour, Wheat Bran, Sugar, Vitamin E), Coconut, Milk Powder, Glucose, Choc Chips (9%) Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Milk Solids, Cocoa, Cocoa Mass, Emulsifiers (492, Soy Lecithin), Salt, Chicory Root Fibre, Sunflower Oil, Sugar, Humectant (Glycerine), Modified Starch (1412), Invert Sugar, Honey, Emulsifier ( Soy Lecithin), Natural Flavour, Salt.

To This:
Koja Oat Bites Choc Chip 150g
INGREDIENTS: Australian Oats 46%, Chicory Root Fibre, Brown Rice Syrup, Mylk Chocolate (9%) (Sugar, Cocoa Solids 36%, Coconut Milk Powder, Chicory Root, Sunflower Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavour), Coconut Oil, Glycerine, Himalayan Salt.

Swap This:Fantastic Rice Crackers Seaweed 100gINGREDIENTS: Rice Flour (90%), Soy Sauce Powder, Sugar, Seaweed Strips (1%), Flavour, Flavour Enhancers (627, 631).

To This:
Eatrite Rice Crackers Tamari Seaweed 100g
INGREDIENTS: Brown Rice, Soy Sauce, (Water, Soy Beans, Salt), Seaweed.

Swap This:
Doritos Corn Chips Lunchbox Snacks Multipack Cheese Supreme 8 packINGREDIENTS: Corn (67%), Canola Oil, Cheese Powder (Milk, Soy), Maltodextrin, Salt, Wheat Flour, Flavour Enhancers (621 635), Tomato Powder, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Natural Flavours (Milk), Dextrose. Yeast Extract, Sugar, Mineral Salt (Potassium Chloride), Food Acids (Lactic Acid, Citric Acid), Colours (110, 150c). Spice (White Pepper), Sunflower Oil, Antioxidants (Tocopherols, Ascorbic Acid, Rosemary Extract).

To This:
Kettle Sea Salt Potato Chips Multipack School Snacks 5 pack
INGREDIENTS: Potatoes, Sunflower and/or Canola Oil, Sea Salt.

Want to Learn More?

Looking for products made with real ingredients? Follow @supermarket.swap on Instagram for additive-free finds, recipes, and more. Plus, check out the Supermarket Swap App – featuring 3,000+ nutritionally reviewed additive-free products.

supermarketswap.com.au

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