When You Should Avoid Low Fat Foods

Do you look for the label that says "low fat" when you shop for snack items at the grocery store? Like many Americans, you believe that low fat foods can help you loose those last stubborn pounds. Unfortunately, this may not be the case according to new research. There's some thought that it may be best to avoid low fat foods if you want to promote weight loss. Why might this be?

There is the perception that low fat foods are significantly lower in calories than their full fat counterparts. In reality, low fat foods average only around 10-15 percent lower in calories which is not a significant caloric savings. In addition, it's been shown that people who eat low fat foods and snacks actually end up eating more than if they had eaten the full fat version, thus compensating for the small difference in calories.

A study carried out at Cornell University showed that people ate more M & M's from a container marked low fat than they did from one that was marked as regular M & M's. It seems most people feel entitled to eat more when they believe they're eating low fat which usually more than compensates for the small calorie savings. The decision to avoid low fat foods may be a wise one if you're not capable of controlling portion sizes.

Another reason to avoid low fat foods is the sugar content. To compensate for the lack of taste and texture of low fat foods, manufacturers frequently add larger amounts of sugar which can have an adverse effect on insulin levels and potentially promoting fat storage of fat. Certainly if you're practicing a low carb or good carb diet, you'll want to avoid low fat foods that are high in sugar and carbohydrates.