“Paying extra for the healthy option and finding out it is not”
What’s Really In It
Thirty supermarket health foods, taken apart.
Get the book, $1953 pages170 things to fill inYours to keep
By Laura, UK registered nurse
You pay extra for the one that says high protein, or gut friendly, or no added sugar. You get it home, turn it over, and the ingredients list runs to four lines.
The front of a packet is advertising. The back is where the law makes it tell the truth, in small print. In the newsletter I take products apart one at a time: the good, the bad, the verdict.
This is thirty of them in one place, with the rules a UK label has to follow explained in plain English, so you can do it yourself in the time it takes to pick something up.
Laura
What is inside
Thirty products, one to a page
- Thirty supermarket health foods, one to a page, across six aisles: the good, the bad, the verdict, and what I would pick up instead
- How a UK label works: what a claim has to prove, why “gut friendly” is not an authorised claim, and who chooses the portion behind the traffic lights
- The five second check for the shop, and a thirty second one for when you have time
- The names sugar goes by, sweeteners, additives and ultra processed food, with what the Food Standards Agency and the government’s scientific advisers say
- Twelve things I believed about food that turned out to be wrong
- Eight swap ladders, so you change one step at a time
- A trolley page and a cost log to fill in with your own prices
- No brands are named. Recipes change, and a verdict on a type of product stays true for longer
Look inside
Real pages, not a mock up
Every box and line on these pages is a form field. Tap it and type, on your phone.
- You pay more for the healthy option and suspect you are being had
- You stand in the aisle reading the back of a packet and still cannot decide
- You want to eat less ultra processed food without cooking everything from scratch
- You want brands named and shamed. None are named in here
- You want to be told never to buy a packet again. This is about choosing better ones
- You need allergy advice. That comes from your own clinical team
How it works
- 1Pay once
$19, through Gumroad, by card. No subscription and nothing to cancel.
- 2Get the file straight away
A PDF, sent to your email the moment you pay. Open it on a phone, a tablet or a computer.
- 3Fill it in as you go
Tap a box and type, then save. Or print it. It is yours to keep.
Who wrote it
I’m Laura, a UK registered nurse. I qualified nine years ago, started on a surgical colorectal ward, and spent years on thirteen hour shifts eating whatever was nearest. I have been the patient as well as the nurse.
Every claim in this book is checked against NHS and NICE guidance, and the book names its sources so you can check them too. No supplements, no sponsors, and nothing to buy afterwards.
More about me, and how I check thingsQuestions
Is it a printed book?
No. It is a PDF you download the moment you pay. It reads well on a phone, and it prints if you prefer paper.
Can I fill it in on my phone?
Yes. Every box, line and log is a real form field. Tap it, type, and save the file so your answers stay put.
Will it tell me what is wrong with me?
No, and nothing you can buy online can. It is general health education from a registered nurse. If a symptom is new, persistent or worrying, speak to your GP or call NHS 111.
Why is the price in dollars?
The books are sold through Gumroad, which prices in US dollars. Your bank converts it to pounds when you pay.
I pay for the newsletter. Is there a member price?
Yes. Paid subscribers get every book at half price, with the code on the Perks page on Substack.
Is there a cheaper way to get all four?
Yes. The four books together are $49, instead of $76 bought one at a time.
“Paying extra for the healthy option and finding out it is not”
What’s Really In It Thirty supermarket health foods, taken apart. Get the book, $19