While I believe the trend is reversing now, for a very long time, fat had been considered as enemy number one for anyone trying to watch their weight. It has 9 calories per gram, while carbohydrate and protein each only have 4. And though we understand more that there are healthy fats and unhealthy fats out there, we still tend to fall back on the old idea that if a food is low in fat, it must be healthier to eat than it’s higher-fat counterpart.
But what do we mean by healthier? Lower in calories? Or better for your body? The low-fat or fat-free option may not necessarily be either.
Fat has many different functions in food…not only does it add its own flavour, but it contributes to the texture and mouthfeel of the food in which it is contained. Without fat, baked goods would be dry, pastry wouldn’t be flaky, and chocolate wouldn’t melt in your mouth. So if manufacturers remove fat from a recipe, they may need to replace it with one or more other ingredients that will satisfy those qualities.
What do they replace it with? Very often, fat gets replaced with sugar and/or other food additives with too-many-syllables-to-be-considered-healthy. So, depending on the amount of sugar added, you might not actually be saving yourself many calories. And if you’re a diabetic or just trying to control your blood sugars, it’s entirely possible that you won’t be doing yourself any favours by picking the “low-fat” product.
This is not to say that all low-fat products are less healthy. Dairy products are the best example of lower fat being better for you. Homo milk, 2% milk, skim milk…the only difference between them is the amount of fat they contain. High-fat yogurt and cottage cheese differs from low-fat versions solely by the type of milk used in production, so the only difference is the fat content. Processed cheese and cream cheese have far more additives to achieve their particular textures, so the same cannot be said for them.
The only way to know for sure whether a reduced fat product is a healthier alternative is by reading labels. Compare the original product with the lower-fat version. Check out the Nutrition Facts panel and the ingredient list. Look to see what’s been added and what’s been taken away. And then make your decision on what is “healthier.”
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