Pizza Nachos with Health Star Rating
Today in the second part of my series on the Health Star Rating system, I’m explaining what the stars are based on, and how the stars work so you can choose the best product for yourself when shopping.
The Health Star Rating is being rolled out on a voluntary basis since 2014 in Australia and New Zealand. There are two different ways the Health Star Rating can be displayed on the front of packaging; a single circle displaying the Health Star Rating or this circle in addition to a short panel detailing the energy, saturated fat, sugar, sodium and one positive nutrient such as fibre on a per 100g basis, so it’s easy to compare many products at once.
The stars are awarded based on the product’s nutritional profile; taking into account energy (kilojoules), positive nutrients including protein, dietary fibre, and the proportion of vegetable and fruit content as well as the content of nuts and legumes, and finally assessing the risk nutrients within the product including sodium (salt), sugars and saturated fat.
Even though there are loads of products now displaying the Health Star Rating, there are some food products that are not expected to show a rating including fresh fruit and veg, alcoholic beverages, non-nutritive foods and condiments such as vinegar, spices, coffee and tea, baby formulas and single ingredient products that aren’t usually eaten on their own like flour.
When you’re out shopping for a particular product, have a quick scan through the front labels to see the Health Star Rating and choose a product that has a rating closest to five within the same product category. The higher the stars, the better it is for you. How easy is that?!
Now for the tasty part! I’ve whipped up a super quick and easy pizza nachos recipe below which can be made for one or for a whole party of people for your next movie night…or when Game of Thrones premieres again! Enjoy!
You need:
Corn chips/Rice chips/Bean chips from the Health Food section of the supermarket (5 stars)
Diced tomatoes in a can (4.5 stars)
Shredded mozzarella cheese (4 stars)
Pitted kalamata olives in brine (2.5 stars)
Capsicum
Mushrooms
Basil
In a baking dish, layer chips at the bottom then top with tomatoes, cheese, olives and veggies. Bake for 10-15 minutes in a moderate oven until the cheese has melted. Top with fresh basil and dig in!
This post is in partnership with, and sponsored by Health Star Rating. You can read more about the system here - http://bit.ly/2lZsRry
