In order for food companies to be appealing to all the weight loss hopefuls, many have created low-fat and fat-free varieties of our favorite foods. Before you fill your grocery cart with these “healthy” alternatives, hear this – diet foods could be making you fat.
Fat-free and low-fat foods are usually full of sugar, flour, thickeners, and preservatives – all of which will add unwanted pounds. Since our food’s flavor comes from fat, these low-fat items use alternate ingredients to make them appealing.
Also, since dieters perceive these foods as “healthy,” they are more likely to overeat without feeling guilty. In reality, most low-fat foods only lower their bad-for-you fat by about 11%. Meanwhile, you increase your sugar and sodium intake while missing out on much-needed protein and fiber.
Here are nine low-fat foods that could be ruining your diet.
Yogurt
Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. It is important to jump start your metabolism and spike your energy levels. If you reach for a serving of low-fat yogurt, you are eliminating one of the most energy-packed nutrients – fat.
Plus, to replace the flavor of the fat, low-fat yogurts turn to artificial sweeteners. It is a really bad idea to indulge your taste buds with sweetness – especially so early in the morning. The extra sweetness will just make you crave more and more.
If you want a truly healthy yogurt alternative, go ahead and have a small serving of 2% yogurt. You’ll start your day off right will a good boost of energy. Or, try some Greek yogurt – it doesn’t have added sweeteners.
Egg Substitutes
Did you know the egg yolk is the most nutritious part of the egg? If you opt for an egg white only alternative, you’ll miss out on much needed zinc, iron, protein, and vitamins A and D.
Go ahead and a make yourself an egg for breakfast. Just don’t use a ton of cheese, milk, butter or oil to make it more flavorful. Instead, add a bit of basil; you’ll get a nice flavor and an extra dose of antioxidants. If you can’t avoid the fattening temptations that go with scrambled eggs, try a hardboiled egg.
Milk
Most fat-free milks don’t have vitamins A or D. Even if they do add them back in, your body can’t properly absorb these and other essential vitamins without the fat.
Try 1% milk. It is still has fewer bad fats but enough nutrients to keep you healthy.
Chips
Have you seen the bags of chips that boast “all the taste with half the calories?” What they don’t tell you is the taste comes from salt and bad-for-you carbs. In fact, one light brand has 18% more sodium and 13% more carbohydrates than the full-fat version.
If you need a crunchy snack, make some kale chips.
Peanut Butter
Low-fat peanut butter has a ton of sugar. The body turns this sugar into glucose. When you have excess levels of glucose and you don’t burn it off, the body will store it as fat. Plus, the low-fat version has fewer good fats than the full-fat version.
For a healthy alternative, try all-natural peanut butter (before you dive in, pour off the top layer of oil). It is made from 100% nuts and doesn’t have any trans fats. Studies show that people who consume plenty of healthy fats have lower body mass indexes and less abdominal fat.
Salad Dressing
Not all fat is bad. Some is good. Without the good fat, your body won’t be able to absorb essential nutrients. For example, eating low-fat salad dressing means you won’t reap any rewards of the vitamins A, D, E and K in the salad. Instead, pour a little olive oil on your salad; you’ll get a bit of flavor, healthy fats, and a jump start for your metabolism.
Frozen Dinners
Yes, many diet dinners are low in calories. However, they have a ton of sugar and salt. In fact, one brand has 18 grams of sugar. That is 5 more than a serving of ice cream. Plus, one single meal has more than half of the recommended daily allowance of sodium.
Ice Cream
A container of fat-free or low-fat ice cream has three times the ingredients of full-fat ice cream. Just imagine what all those extra artificial sweeteners and hidden chemicals are doing to your body!
Cookies
We’ve said it before, but we’ll tell you again. If you take the fat out of a food item, you have to replace it with another source of flavor. For cookies, that replacement is sugar – a lot of sugar. Also, fat makes you feel full longer. If you eat a low-fat cookie, you’ll probably eat another. And another. Before you know it, the entire box will be gone.
Instead of buying a box of your favorite low-fat snack, swing by the bakery and buy just one fresh cookie. It will taste better, it won’t have as many preservatives and you won’t unconsciously take down an entire box in one sitting.
Don’t be fooled by the health claims of “diet” foods. Instead, flip the package over and analyze the nutrition facts label. You’ll learn much more from the small print than the big print!
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