LIKE IT OR loathe it, we are all firmly living in the era of conscious consumption where supermarket influencers, ingredient gurus and food content creators flood our feeds with an endless list of often contradictory dos and don’ts for feeding your family healthily, ethically and mindfully.

For most people, the weekly grocery shopping is rarely described as a leisure activity. True, many parents will remember the sheer glee of going to the supermarket solo when their children were babies or toddlers, taking their time to read labels or make choices about their coffee not solely based on their level of sleep deprivation.

However, for most people, me included, the weekly pilgrimage to the shops is less leisurely label reading and more like an episode of Supermarket Sweep, except instead of me winning money by throwing things in the trolley, when I get to the tills I’ve got none left.

I try to go in with a meal plan and a list and stick to it. Even that’s getting harder to do, especially when you’ve got this never-ending narration in your head, based on headlines or some seemingly solid, but often inconsistent advice we can’t help but pick up from some randomer on social media.

Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Some of the content out there is genuinely helpful. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with reading food labels, or looking at packaging for more than a few seconds, because while it’s currently a case of blink and the price has doubled on that packet of frozen peas, it’s also a case of blink and you’ll miss what’s right in front of you. Like that Irish honey brand you like to buy is actually made from non-Irish bees in hives from halfway around the world. Many of us are too busy to stop and see what’s in plain........

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