ALBANY, N.Y. – Taking nutritional hand-holding to a new level, a grocery chain is introducing a simplified guide that uses gold stars to help consumers pick out the healthiest options in each aisle.

The “nutritional navigation” system being launched in the more than 150 Hannaford stores across upstate New York and New England comes as obesity rates climb and supermarkets begin to court concerned shoppers.

“There’s a certain level of frustration in consumers trying to figure out all the different health claims,” said Bill Greer, a spokesman for the Food Marketing Institute.

The program at Hannaford Supermarkets attempts to boil it all down.

Under the Guiding Stars program, “healthy” products are given one star, better choices get two and the best are given three.

The rankings are based on federal guidelines, with points earned for meeting recommended levels of nutrients like fiber and taken away for having too much of the bad stuff – like saturated fats and sugar.

Foods with no nutritional value are not awarded any stars. Of 27,000 food items in the store that were evaluated, only about a quarter of them earned at least one star. Some items – like cooking oils, coffee or water – were not evaluated.

“You don’t have to have a nutrition degree to understand it,” said Caren Epstein, spokeswoman for Hannaford, based in Scarborough, Maine.

The system gives shoppers a good baseline for understanding healthful eating, said Cathy Nonas, a registered nutritionist with the American Dietetic Association.

“It’s a big step in the right direction,” she said.

And at the right time. Federal statistics show two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese.

Such guidance and support systems, once the forte of upscale and niche grocers, are moving into the mainstream.

A survey this year by the Food Marketing Institute found 72 percent of supermarkets were offering some type of nutritional guidance, up from 67 percent in 2004.

At United Supermarkets in Texas, for example, a color code marks heart-healthy foods with red tags and diabetic-friendly foods with purple tags. UKrop’s in Virginia offers consultations with a nutritionist for a fee.

Wegman’s, a popular chain based in Rochester, N.Y., has a “Wellness Key” that stamps house brands with symbols indicating high fiber, low fat, low calorie or sugar free.

The Guiding Stars at Hannaford goes a step further. Most food products – packaged, frozen, fresh or prepared – were evaluated for their nutritional value.

Produce like broccoli, blueberries and artichokes and cereal like Post Shredded Wheat get three stars. The Cinnamon Shredded Wheat gets two stars while a bag of Doritos gets no stars. Neither do any of the other food items so devoid of nutrients they earned zero (or negative) points on the grading system.

“Consumers already know what’s not good for them. This system isn’t meant to police people’s choices,” said Lisa Sutherland, a Dartmouth College physician and professor who helped develop the system for Hannaford.

The stars, attached to price tags that dangle from shelves, are discreet. Brochures and signs explaining the program will be posted in aisles, but no seismic overhauls are planned for stores. “It’s not ‘in your face,'” Epstein said.

Company officials are also quick to point out that the program doesn’t directly address caloric content and “is in no way a diet.”

Nonas, of the American Dietetic Association, said the grading system will naturally weed out many high calorie foods. But those looking to lose weight will still need to take a closer look at individual nutrition labels.

“Just because a product is healthier, doesn’t mean it’s the best choice,” she said.

Still, company officials are confident the program will be widely used; a survey showed 84 percent of Hannaford shoppers expressed desire for such nutritional guidance.

Healthy choices

. DAIRY – Redwood Goatgurt Apricot Mango (one star), Stonyfield Organic Low Fat Plain Yogurt (two stars), Dannon No Fat Plain Yogurt (three stars)

. CEREAL – Kellogg’s Healthy Heart Smart Start (one star), Post Bran Flakes (two stars), Post Shredded Wheat Bran (three stars)

. BREAD – Arnold Multigrain Bread (one star), Pepperidge Farm 7 Grain Light Bread (two stars), The Baker Flaxseed Bread (three stars)

. MEAT/SEAFOOD/CHICKEN – 90 percent Lean Ground Beef (one star), Haddock Fillet (two stars), Skinless, boneless chicken breast (three stars)

. MEAT SUBSTITUTES – B&M Baked Beans (one star), Original Nasoya Lite Firm Tofu (two stars), red kidney beans (three stars)

. SOUPS – Progresso Fat Free Lentil Soup (one star), Coco Pazzo White Bean Soup (two stars), Amy’s Vegetable Barley Soup (three stars)