Diet Foods
What diets foods are good for the health? What do diet fizzy drinks, processed low-fat foods, butter alternatives, low-calorie cereal bars, gluten-free processed foods and high-fibre snack bars have in common? We as consumers think that they are ‘healthy’ alternatives compared to their high calorie, high in fat, high in sugar, high in gluten mainstream equivalents. We think this because this is what we are sold day-in and day-out by the food industry. The reality is that many of the foods that are held up as being a ‘healthier’ alternative to aid weight loss are anything but good for you.
You might think that you are making a better food choice by eating a processed low-fat option, such as a low-fat yoghurt. What you do not necessarily know is that when food manufacturers remove the fat from food, they also remove some of the flavour. To compensate for the lack of flavour, many food manufacturers add higher levels of sugar. Meaning that while your low-fat yoghurt is lower in fat, it has a much higher sugar concentration, when compared to a standard yoghurt. Research even suggests that when we know that something is lower in fat, we have a tendency to eat up to 30% more than we normally would. For more insights into ‘diet’ foods that are supposed to assist you to lose weight, but actually do not, have a look at this infographic created by Evoke.
