Grocery shopping can be daunting any day. Add in the stress of watching your weight while filling your cart and it can get down-right nerve-rattling.
By arming yourself with a little basic knowledge, you will find your next trip down the aisles a little easier.
Is "Light" Always Right?
Light means a product has one-third fewer calories or half the fat of its "regular" counterpart.That means a light product may contain the same number of calories, but fewer fat grams than its non-light counterpart or vice versa. Always compare the labels to find the best calorie bargain.
But be careful ... Light can also have other meanings on labels.
Olive oil, for example, can be labeled light due to its milder taste. It has the same fat and calorie content as one that isn't light.
Light can also apply to texture or color.
Light corn syrup simply means the syrup is a lighter shade than another corn syrup.
Beware the word "lite". I recently compared two types of chips from the same maker. The "lite" version contained only 10 fewer calories per serving than the regular -- this definitely doesn't fit the standard for "light" foods as described above (a third fewer calories per serving).
Fat Facts
Reduced-fat means the food must contain at least 25 percent less fat per serving than the food's regular counterpart. Low-fat means the food does not contain more than three grams of fat per serving.Again, careful label reading comes in handy here. For example, my recent comparison of two types of a popular fig bar raised an interesting point: The fat-free variety actually contains 15 more calories in each serving than the regular kind!
Remember, calories always count. Eating less fat but taking in more calories is like chasing your own tail: It isn't going to get you much of anywhere.
When it comes to fat-free foods, calories still count, too. And you should also make note of preparation method. A canned soup, for example, may be marked "fat-free," but if it is condensed you will be adding something to it. Add anything but fat-free milk or water and it's no longer fat-free.
Smart Switches
When it comes to choosing which products to switch for "light" or reduced-fat or low-fat versions, you will need to make your own decisions based on taste preferences and the caloric difference between the versions of the foods.There are some foods you will probably find just as palatable as the originals.
Most people I know find fat-free or reduced-fat salad dressings to be perfectly acceptable. On the other hand, I've yet to meet anyone who can choke down fat-free mayo.
Baked tortilla chips and potato chips are pleasantly crunchy and tasty. I don't find any flavor to be sacrificed in reduced-fat versions of my favorite crackers.
Reduced-fat cheeses have been greatly improved since they first hit the market in the 90's. They now taste nearly identical to and melt just as well regular cheeses.
Others, you may find, just aren't worth the switch off.
The reduced-fat version of my favorite peanut butter brand is only four fewer grams of fat per serving than the regular kind. The calorie count is identical. For me, it's just not worth sacrificing the flavor of regular PB for the sake of a few grams of fat since the calorie count is the same.
Cream-centered sandwich cookies of the reduced-fat variety may save you a few calories per cookie, but you sure will know you're eating a "diet" version of the cookie you once loved. The reduced-fat version of my favorite brand saves only five calories a cookie!
The reason? When the makers take out some of the fat, they add more sugar. That makes the calorie count go up while the fat count goes down.
I would choose a single "regular" cookie any day than a three cookie serving of a variety that saves me a mere 15 calories. Again, it's just not worth sacrificing the flavor to triple my serving size.
By trying different versions of your favorite foods you will be able to decide which alternatives will allow you to cut some calories and which are worth spending a few extra calories on!
To find out the caloric content of your favorite foods -- before you hit the grocery store! -- head to Calorie Count Plus. When you're already on the go, check out Calorie Count Mobile.
