By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – Processed foods are often considered a ‘no-no’ for the health conscious, but a local dietician said some processed foods are better than others.

Stefanie Djuric, a registered dietician at Hy-Vee grocery store in Bloomington, told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin you have to know where to look.

PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Colleen’s interview with Djuric on WJBC.

“A lot of people recommend just focusing on the outer aisles of the grocery store, but there ‘s a lot of good in the center aisles as well,” Djuric said.

Djuric said microwaveable rice and some granola bars that have few ingredients can pack a nutritional punch.

Djuric advises there are three main flavor profiles that just about all processed foods have – salt, sugar and fat. If it’s short on one, it’s likely heavier in the other two.

“Sugar-free things or fat-free things aren’t always going to be the best options because if its’s fat free or sugar free, you sometimes need to look a little further,” Djuric said.

Djuric recommends closely reading the label and realize calorie counts are for a certain serving size, which isn’t what we usually end up eating.

October is Health Literacy Month.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].