CHOOSE FROM
HAPPY HOUR AT THE ELDRIDGE
"Sometimes people lose sight of the overall picture," says Nancy O'Connor, director of education and outreach at the Community Mercantile."A great example is low-fat potato chips.They are a bad trick for your mind.People buy and eat as many as they want and seem to forget they add up, too."
According to studies conducted by the Journal of Marketing Research, low-fat food labels lead consumers to overeat because the consumers' guilt is decreased when they think they are eating low-fat foods.
Good for you Bad for you
Also, fat is an extremely crucial part of a healthy balanced diet, O'Connor says. You do not want to get rid of fat because it provides satisfaction for our body. Low-fat foods cause people to crave more because they are not satisfied.
However, when it comes to dairy products, such as cheese, milk or yogurt, O'Connor does recommend choosing low-fat brands.
From 100-calorie packs to low-fat potato chips, people are always looking for a guilt-free way to enjoy the snacks they love; however, these "guilt-free" pleasures are not the best way to lose or maintain weight.
"There is a place for low fat, like in dairy products;" O'Connor says. "Those are
Low-fat snack foods
**What to Do When**
Can't get no satisfaction: Low-fat snacks, such as chips and pretzels, actually be bad for you.
Photo Illustration by Megan Weltner
reasonable substitutions. The places we mostly go awry are snack foods like cookies and chips. How can something that has no nutritional value really be satisfying if it is low in fat?"
For a healthier and more satisfying substitute to low-fat snacks, O'Connor recommends whole-grain crackers with cheese or peanut butter, or a small piece of regular dark chocolate.
VERDICT: Other than dairy, BAD FOR YOU
Megan Weltner
14
April 30,2009