Low-Calorie Foods: Are they Healthy?

Low in calories Food Booming: cold cuts, milk, cheese, muesli bars, soft drinks, salty snacks – there are “light” versions of all these foods and much more. We turn to "light" products because we want to eat healthily and hope that they will help us lose weight. We automatically associate words like "sugar free, "Low fat" or "wellness" with health and wellbeing. But do this "low in calories“Products really do what they promise?

What are "light" foods?

Wherever it says “light”, it means that there is less of something: for example, less fat or less or no sugar. "Light" products must contain at least 30% fewer calories than standard products. There are many different terms for “light” products, but each term has its own meaning. Here is a list of the most common terms and their definitions:

• Fat free: no more than 0.5 grams of total fat for a certain serving size *
• Calorie Free: less than 5 calories for a given serving size
• % fat free: must contain 3 grams or less of total fat for a given serving size. A "100% fat-free" claim can only be made for foods that meet the criteria for "fat-free" and also contain less than 0.5 grams of fat per 100 grams and do not contain any added fat.
• Cholesterol free: less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol for a given serving size and 2 grams or less of saturated fat for a given serving size
• Saturated fat-free: no more than 0.5 g of saturated fat per serving size and no more than 0.5 g of trans fatty acids
• Low fat content: 3 grams or less of total fat per serving size
• Low in calories: 40 calories or less for a given serving size (excluding sugar substitutes)
• Low cholesterol: Up to 20 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat for a given serving size
• Low saturated fat: 1 gram or less of saturated fat per serving size and no more than 15% of the calories from saturated fat

* The portion size indicates the amount of food that is usually consumed per meal occasion.

Source: https://caloriecontrol.org/what-the-labels-mean/

How does “light” affect the taste?

Fat is an important flavor carrier because it absorbs and preserves aromas. Substances such as glutamate, glycine, chlorides, lactates, yeast extract or flavorings are often used to compensate for the lack of taste in low-fat products. Many of these substances can cause headaches, diarrhea, polyuria, or even allergic reactions.

Are light foods or low calorie foods unhealthy?

Further research is needed to clearly determine whether and how “light” foods affect our health. However, Longitudinal study in Europe shows that even two glasses of sweet soft drinks a day can be harmful to health. Interestingly, it doesn't matter whether the drinks are sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners. There are also studies showing that artificial sweeteners can affect the health of our digestive tract.(1)

Switching to artificially sweetened drinks is also not the right choice for diabetics, as regular consumption of diet sodas can be an independent risk factor for diabetes. (2) The healthier and safer option is to drink water or unsweetened tea.

Beware of diet foods

Light or low-calorie foods don't keep what they promise! Just because they're low in calories does it don't make them healthier; they can contain many substitutes. And as for weight loss, long term Studies have shown that highly processed diet foods contribute little, Or none if any, to lose weight.(3.4) We tend to eat more of something with a clear conscience when the word "light" is on the label. A better strategy would be to simply eat less of the standard productwhat will lead to weight loss.(5)

Takeout: Are Low Calorie Foods Healthy Or Unhealthy?

There is no clear indication of how healthy or unhealthy light or low-calorie foods are. The fact is, they have no proven health benefits. They are also not necessarily the most effective choices for weight loss foods. If you want lose weight in a healthy wayThe best way is to stick to natural, unprocessed foods and cut about 300 calories a day.

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