Skittles are a low-fat food. But if you eat a lot of skittles, I promise that you’ll still get fat.
Just because something is labeled “low fat” doesn’t mean it’s healthy. And conversely, not all foods containing fat are unhealthy.
Limiting trans and saturated fats is important. In fact, current dietary guidelines recommend that less than 7% of your total calories should come from saturated fat. But fat is just part of the equation.
When we talk about weight management, the formula is pretty simple. To maintain weight, you need to eat the same amount of calories that your body burns. To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than your body burns. With this in mind, it’s important to recognize that there are many unhealthy, calorie-dense foods with little or no fat. Like skittles.
Beyond saturated and trans fat, pay attention to carbohydrates. While complex carbohydrates are essential, many low fat foods are packed with simple carbohydrates including table sugar, corn syrup, fruit juice, white flour, etc.
Moreover, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Heart Association recommend no more than 2,300 mg of sodium each day, and no more than 1,500 mg for high risk groups. To add flavor, manufacturers often pump low fat or reduced fat foods with sodium - so read the nutrition label carefully.
Last but not least, remember that fat isn’t always a bad thing. Unsaturated fats - like those found in olive oils, nuts, avocados, etc. - are essential for proper bodily function.
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They’re also likely to make you fat as they’re not very satisfying thus you end up eating a bag of them and still feeling hungry. On a regular basis they’re also a source of “wasted” calories as it were, which could have been spent on something healthier.
So many people these days have the wrong beliefs about fat consumption. It’s not all fats that should be avoided, but only the “bad” fats such as those found in junk food or animal fats. Foods like avocados are high in fat, but they contain the good stuff and they’re great for you.
As you point out there is more to nutrition and weight loss than just avoiding fat. It can all get a little complicated if you let it. I try to stick with non-processed foods. If I comes in a box or bag I try to avoid it in general.
Thanks for finally writing about >Myth: Low Fat Foods Are Healthy.
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