Diet Food Impostors
Diet Food Imposters
You've been eating smart all summer long despite the weekend movie trips and backyard cookouts. But some of those low-fat diet meals and snacks may not be as slimming as you think. Before you sabotage your diet, check out this gallery of low-fat diet food impostors, and be sure you're really making healthy choices!
"Real Fruit" Beverages
That Fruitopia drink at the mall was a great way to get in a serving of fruit, right? Wrong. These drinks are only 5 percent fruit juice, and because they're full of sugar, a 20-oz bottle packs 300 or more calories--as much as a cream-filled doughnut! Have a box of 100 percent juice instead.
Poultry Hot Dogs
Unfortunately, just like pork and beef hot dogs, poultry dogs often include skin and fat, so they're no healthier than their "authentic" counterparts. Opt for low-fat or fat-free franks instead. And no matter what variety you get, check the Nutrition Facts label for the real skinny on fat content.
Sugar-Free Cookies and Candy
"No sugar" must mean fewer calories--or at least that's what the manufacturers want you to think! But most sugar-free brands have as many calories as the regular kind. And too much of the sugar alcohols used to sweeten these products can cause loose stools, diarrhea, and cramping. So indulge in the full-sugar brands; just do so in moderation.
Complete Salad Kits
Salad-in-a-bag has been a lifesaver in many a busy mom's kitchen, but they can pack a caloric wallop: 510 calories and 45 g of fat in one package of Dole Caesar Salad Kit. Buy the light variety instead, or add your own low-fat or fat-free dressing at home.
Vegetable Pizza-for-One
The veggies are healthy, all right. But the gobs and gobs of cheese they're sitting on aren't; they're full of artery-clogging saturated fat. Look for low-fat diet versions, and be sure to check the saturated fat content so you can compensate elsewhere in your daily intake.
Bags of Air-Popped Popcorn
Air popping adds no fat, so this is perfect for a night in front of the TV, right? Sure, if you pop it yourself. But manufacturers add the fat after the popping is done; that's why the popcorn is butter- or cheese-flavored. Air-pop your own instead, or buy the light microwave kind.
Trail Mix
It's the perfect midafternoon snack, full of fruits and nuts, fiber, heart-healthy fat, and trace minerals. Why not down a whole bag? Because each 6-oz pack contains at least 800 calories. You could have dinner for that! Make sure you're only eating one serving (about 3 tablespoons) each time you snack.
Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
The fat that's removed is replaced by carbohydrate filler, so there's no reduction in calories. And the fat in peanut butter is the healthy monounsaturated kind. So scoop out your 2 tablespoons (about the size of a golf ball), and stick with the full-fat varieties.
Share Your Diet Advice
Forget fake diet foods: Tell us the smart food substitutions you make that help keep your diet on track.
Watch Jillian Michaels
Celeb trainer Jillian Michaels will help make this the year you lose the weight for good. Watch her videos for solid diet advice and simple fitness routines.
Recent Comments
Electricgibson88 05:17:44 PM May 10 2008
Hey whats the problem with sugar free cookies and such. I am a diabetic and its better than nothing. Back in my grandmothers day they had nothing today we are lucky. The thing is you have to learn self control with the sugar free candy and cookies or you'll be like the drunk on sunday morning praying to the crapper that you'll never do it again. You learn moderation God knows I did the hard way.
WKinney 12:38:43 PM May 09 2008
The series is only slightly helpful because it omits trans fats, or partially hydrogenated fats. These novel fats are more harmful than saturated fats. In some early studies slamming saturated fats, the saturated fats were first partially hydrogenated by being heated and bubbling hydrogen up through them.. Then they were fed to the lab animals. Then the result is that tans fats were put forward as an alternative to the supposed bad saturated fats. In actuality the research showed that partially hydrogenated fats themselves are bad. The pizza and the peanut butter are likely to contain the trans-fats.
Everyone eats, so everyone is inclined to think themselves experts on food and blurble on to the next article. Sorr;y.
Dpheil68 10:29:55 AM May 09 2008
What about diabetics? we dont have any choice- we wouldnt be diabetic ihe first place if we would have watched what we ate- Not over active thyroid-over active fork-
ANGEL89JLM 08:11:31 PM May 08 2008
mastermania not everyone can take it i was on it for a month(alli) and it made me sick and i was on the toilet constantly . i disagree its not good
Hevynnly 07:56:00 PM May 08 2008
The mistake ppl make is sugar-free cookies and other sugar-free snacks are not meant to use for dieting it says so right on the box, they were meant for ppl who are diabetic.
So if you can't read or are just to lazy too, good for you, keep gaining.
mastermania 07:31:34 PM May 08 2008
To ALL reading this,I STONGLY reccomend Alli to anybody who wants to take the inisitive to dieting/exersise to lose weight.
It TRULY does what it's supposed to do.You just need to make the time to get 30 minuites a day to exersise and I promise it will do it's part.
It's a natrual,FDA APPROVED fat blocker,so eat right,stay oway from the FATTY foods,and exersise,and watch the weight come off!
Good luck to ALL who do what I have and are doing!
I've already lost 40 lbs.
PS You even get your own directions and kit to guide you on how to lose the weight correctly,so it's imossible to mess up on this diet unless you're just plum week and have NO will power.
Angelstarr0965 07:09:26 PM May 08 2008
made the mistake of eating to much sugar free pound cake one time.
anyone who has ever had the displeasure of this sugar alcohol knows
exactly what i mean.. ten minutes later thought i was having a gall bladder
attack.
except it was removed 12 years ago lol
man that stuff is awful, more informaton should be put on foods
to let consumers the side effects of sugar alcohol, sorbitol, malitol ect..
bad stuff for the digestive system!
