Diet – Watch out for those “Low Fat” labels

We’ve all been tempted to buy items labeled “low-fat”, thinking that they are better for us. And, they may very well be – but it’s how we eat them that can be a problem.

Cornell University did a study recently, and they used – of all things…M&M’s! They discovered that when overweight people thought they were eating low-fat M&M’s, they ate almost 50% more of them than the regular M&M’s – when in reality, there was no difference between them, other than the label on the package (as there is no such thing as a “low-fat M&M”).

What the researchers confirmed is that when we see the “low-fat” label, we underestimate the calories that the food really contains. Most people, in fact, think the product has on average 40% lower calories than the regular version – but in reality , the average of low-fat foods only contain 15% less calories than their full-fat counterpart.

Plus, there is that feeling out there (and more often than not, it’s justified) that the low-fat versions just don’t taste as good. So – what is the best type of product to buy – the low-fat or regular version?

Well – here’s a simple idea. Read the packages, and if the low-fat version isn’t that much lower in calories than the regular version – buy the one you like better – and eat a smaller portion of it! This way – you get the taste you like, while also getting the diet benefit you’re looking for as well!