If you frequented the grocery stores in the 1990s, you probably remember the “fat-free” craze and plethora of low-fat and fat-free food options that existed. We weren’t aware of it then, but these so-called “low-fat” foods contained tons of sugar and sometimes fat substitutes that did very strange things to your digestive track. I recall muffins that were “fat-free”, but had over 450 calories per muffin. They were the size of my head. The controversy hasn’t died, even though many fat-free foods have been replaced by portions of a more respectable size, and with less sugar. A recent article on MSNBC, “When it’s OK to eat full-fat foods,” makes a good distinction between full-fat (”energy dense”) foods that are beneficial to us versus those that aren’t. A few of the full-fat foods mentioned have seen a lot of press lately for their health benefits. Namely, nuts and seeds, which don’t contribute to weight gain when they are consumed in moderate portions. Some low-fat foods that raise red flags:

• Gourmet low-fat ice creams, which apparently can cost you close to 400 calories due to their high sugar content.
• Peanut Butter (the full-fat version often has as many calories as the low-fat version).

Which full-fat foods should you avoid? Meats, cheeses and milk that are high in fat. Choose low-fat varieties instead.

The lesson? Get in the habit of checking food labels and noting the total calories per serving, in addition to the grams of sugar listed, amount of saturated fat, and cholesterol.

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “a calorie is a calorie,” and that when weight loss is the goal, you can probably loose weight on a 1,200 calorie/day diet whether it is 1,200 Twinkie calories or apple calories. At this point, you might be thinking, “Cool! I’ll go on the Twinkie diet!”   Our bodies are smarter than that though, and I say, thank goodness. I know – I’m no fun at all . Last week at the grocery one of my kiddos held up a box of Twinkies and had the audacity to ask me to purchase them. I nearly burst a vessel in my forehead trying to restrain myself from smashing the box with my feet.

All calories are not created equally. Take a peek at the chart below:

Keep in mind that a carbohydrate is not necessarily bread. Veggies, fruits, and whole grains/seeds are also carbs (much healthier ones, I might add). Protein can be from meats, fish, tofu, beans, nuts, and eggs. Fats are what they are, and of course, they range from the unhealthy variety (full-hydrogenated vegetable oil), to healthy oils, such as olive, safflower, and sesame oil. Then, there are the dreaded alcohol calories from beer, wine, etc. Calories from alcohol decrease the amount of fat that the body utilizes for energy. Note: this is a bad thing, as we WANT to use fat for energy, since it packs more calories (9, if you read the chart above). Fat is your friend when it comes to energy. Remember that – in case I give a pop quiz. But alcohol inhibits the body’s use of fat for energy. Bad. That is what the “beer gut” is – excess fat the body can’t get rid of. For more on this, visit: Rochester.edu

Think about the calories you are consuming every day. You need a variety of foods, a variety of colors, and a variety of types of calories, and if you are trying to lose weight, make sure your calories pack a nutrient-dense punch. This means limiting refined sugars, unhealthy, saturated oils, and foods that are too easy for the body to break down, which is just about anything white (white bread, potatoes, snacks, crackers, and again, sugar). In fact, I often tell clients to count nutrients rather than calories. When you eat the way you should, the weight often takes care of itself.

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