3 Misleading 'Diet' Foods
By Jessica Girdwain, REDBOOK
We triple-checked the calories on these diet-y foods and discovered they're no better than the "real" versions. Lesson: Go with what tastes good, in reasonable portions.
1. Nonfat frozen yogurt (Red Mango)
LABEL SAYS: 80 calories, 0 g fat per serving
THE REALITY: Fro-yo may be rich in healthy bacteria and protein, but calorie-free it ain't. Red Mango advertises calorie counts for half-cup servings-a small yogurt, however, contains 1.4 servings and 112 calories. A regular size has 2.3 servings and 184 calories. Sounds more like ice cream!
Related: 20 Ways to Speed Up Your Metabolism
2. Fat-free powdered creamer (Coffee-Mate)
LABEL SAYS: 10 calories, 0 g fat per tsp
THE REALITY: One teaspoon would be plenty if you drank coffee out of a Dixie cup. But stir a couple of tablespoons into your mug and you're looking at 60 calories and 3 grams of saturated fat, "about what you'd get if you used half-and-half," says Liebman. "Fat-free on the label doesn't mean fat-free on your body."
Related: 23 Power Foods to Eat More, More, More Of
3. Cooking spray (Pam)
LABEL SAYS: 0 calories, 0 g fat per spray
THE REALITY: That's for a 1/3-second spritz--totally unrealistic, says Bonnie Liebman, director of nutrition for the Center for Science in the Public Interest: "You need about a five-second spray to cover a pan, or 40 calories." A teaspoon of olive oil has the same number of calories, and heart-healthy benefits to boot.
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