Beware of Fake Diet-Friendly Foods

Nice article from health dot yahoo dot com "Food isn't always what it seems. Unfortunately, manufacturers are all too aware of this confusion and frequently market their new products to fit the latest diet craze, enticing consumers who may not understand the nutritional differences between so-called healthy or diet foods and their "regular" counterparts. In order for a product to be labeled "low-fat," it must contain less than 3 grams of fat per serving. You may want to include low-fat packaged foods in your diet to lower your overall fat intake, but you still need to watch the calories and sugar. The problem with low-fat or healthy foods like yogurt and granola is that some brands or preparations are not necessarily low in calories and can have as many or even more calories than their regular counterparts. Have you seen or tried the "diabetic" foods sold in many grocery stores and health food stores? Most are advertised as being low in carbohydrates or sugar-free, lulling someone following a diabetic diet into a false sense of security. In reality, if eaten in large enough quantities, these foods can provide too many carbohydrates, as well as extra calories and fat. Similarly, "low-carb" products should be evaluated carefully for calories and fats. Even if a specialty food claims to fit into your low-carb diet, remember it still contributes calories to your daily intake and consequently may work against your best weight loss efforts. Protein powders and supplements are also not always what they seem and may be high in sugar. And, though a power bar may claim to provide extra protein for energy, if you look at the label you'll find that a regular granola bar often equals or exceeds the nutrient content of its beefed-up counterpart -- with fewer calories. The take-home message? Always read the nutrition label of any food you're thinking of trying, including "diet" or supposedly healthy products, and pay special attention to the serving size along with the sugar, fat, and calorie content."

Thank you, my dear. Very insightful article!! Nickie

Nice post William. This is the perfect example of why we need to know our "program" front and back. Memorize your daily requirements.........minimums and maximums so that when you go to the grocery store you can read the labels and therefore make an informed decision. C