There has been much ado of late about light and healthy versions of chips and other snack foods. So much so, says the Consumer Reports on Health newsletter, you might think that the manufacturers have turned these corn chips and cheese puffs into carrot sticks.
Not so, says the newsletter. These brands of "light" snack foods may be a bit less fatty than their "regular" brandmates, but they're hardly low-fat foods.Dietary guidelines from health organizations and government agencies suggest that no more than 30 percent of your daily intake of calories should come from fat. It is possible to eat some foods that are high in fats balanced with foods that are low in fats and come out with an overall average around the 30 percent figure. But it is also a good idea, say health experts, to use the 30-percent rule as a guideline in selecting individual foods. If the majority of the foods in your diet have less than 30 percent of their calories coming from fats, then the chances of your overall diet meeting the guidelines are much greater.
So how do these new "light" snack foods measure up? Not so great, says Consumer Reports.
CHIPS: Regular potato chips get about 61 percent of calories from fat; cheese puffs, 57 percent; corn chips, 52 percent; and tortilla chips (corn chips that are first baked and then fried), 52 percent. The major brands of "light" snacks all get around 40 percent or more of their calories from fat. Doritos Light Tortilla Chips are an exception, with only 30 percent of calories from fat.
And don't be fooled by other claims. Cheese puffs that are "baked not fried," for example, still get 45 percent of their calories from fat. And Frito-Lay's new Sun Chips, which say they have less fat than American cheese, still weight in at 48 percent fat. (Cheese gets 76 percent of its calories from fat.)
POPCORN: If it is popped with hot air rather than in oil, popcorn makes an excellent snack, averaging only 8 percent of calories from fat and a generous 4 grams of fiber per ounce. But most manufacturers, says Consumer Reports, soak kernels in oil after air-popping them. As a result air-popped popcorn can get as much as two-thirds of its calories from fat. That's more than most oil-popped brands, which average about 50 percent of calories from fat. So, don't be fooled by air-popped labels.
PRETZELS: You can now get pretzels that contain no fat at all. But pretzels never had much fat in the first place - an average of 8 percent of their calories from fat. A brand that highlights its low-fat content - Frito-Lay Rold Gold Pretzel Rods - is actually somewhat fattier than average, with 16 percent from fat.
Pretzels are relatively high in sodium, with an average of 459 mg per ounce. Eat several ounces of pretzels and you could easily reach the recommended daily limit of 2400 mg.
SALT: Speaking of salt - chips, puffs and popcorn taste saltier than they actually are, because all the salt lies on the surface. Potato chips (averaging 133 mg of sodium per ounce) and tortilla chips (with about 140 mg per ounce) meet the current definitions of moderately low-sodium food. Corn chips average 233 mg and popcorn 235 mg - less than Cheerios or Rice Krispies (290 mg each). Cheese puffs average 344 mg.
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Dining out - the low-fat way
With less time to prepare meals and a larger disposable income, Americans are dining out more often - an average of two to three times a week. Traditionally, restaurant dining has been considered incompatible with low-fat, low-calorie eating, says Rosemary Thackeray, coordinator of Project LEAN for the Utah State Department of Health. But, she says, there are ways to minimize the fat and calories so you can enjoy a positive, healthy dining experience:
- Choose restaurants that offer a variety of menu selections.
- Ask how dishes are prepared and make special requests - after all, you are paying the bill.
- Ask for butter, salad dressings, gravies, mayonnaise and sauces to be placed on the side, so that you can control the amount used.
- Go ethnic but be aware of rich sauces and deep fried foods.
- Select ice milk, frozen yogurt, angel food cake or fresh foods for desserts.
- Eat less often foods that are buttered, basted, fried, creamed, au gratin or in cheese sauce, hollandaised, scalloped or rich.
- Eat more often foods that are broiled, grilled, roasted, stir-fried, steamed, poached, raw, au jus.
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Clearing up a few myths and misconceptions on fast foods
Consumers are bombarded with a lot of confusing information about eating in fast-food restaurants, and sometimes it's hard to know where these foods can fit into your overall diet. Take this true/-false quiz from the folks at Arby's to test your fast-food nutrition acumen.
1. Most fast-food restaurants fry in lard or animal fat.
False. Most major fast-food restaurant chains have switched in the past few years to 100 percent vegetable oil. Vegetable oil is cholesterol free and has less saturated fat.
2. A baked potato with cheese has fewer calories than a large order of french fries.
True - but not by much. An 8-ounce plain baked potato is only 240 calories, but toppings can add calories and fat - a baked potato with cheese averages 405 calories. A 5-ounce order of fries has 492 calories.
3. RDA guidelines for adults recommend at least six servings a day from the bread group. The bun from a fast-food sandwich provides two servings.
True. A standard-size bun is two servings; one serving is equal to one slice of bread or one ounce.
4. Since the American Heart Association recommends that we add fish to our diet, the best choice in a fast-food restaurant is a fish sandwich.
False. The majority of fast-food fish sandwiches are breaded and fried, which adds both calories and fat. Look for skinless poultry and lean cuts of meat. Roasting, baking or grilling are cooking methods that add little or no fat.
5. Most fiber-rich foods in fast-food restaurants are also high in calories.
False. Fiber-rich foods, such as baked potatoes, vegetable-topped salads and whole grain breads and muffins, by themselves are low in calories. It's what is added to these foods that adds calories. To keep them low-calories, eat them without sour cream, creamy salad dressing and butter or margarine.
6. A salad can be your least-fattening option at a fast-food restaurant.
True - but with a caveat. The toppings you add to the salad can be the biggest diet buster in terms of fat. The worst culprit is usually the dressing; two tablespoons of most varieties have about 150 calories and 15 grams of fat. Some restaurants are now offering diet dressings, so watch for those.
7. A roast beef sandwich has less fat than a hamburger.
True. The method of cooking and the type of meat has a direct impact on the amount of fat it contains. A regular roast beef sandwich typically has 28 percent less fat than a quarter-pound hamburger. The same is true of roast chicken or turkey sandwiches versus fried chicken breast sandwiches.
8. Many fast-food restaurants have added more nutritious items to their menus.
True. Most now offer grilled or skinless chicken sandwiches, whole-grain buns, low-fat yogurt, two-percent or skim milk, leaner burgers, reduced-calorie salad dressings.
9. Most restaurant patrons these days are concerned about diet and nutrition.
True. According to a National Restaurant Association survey, 68 percent of restaurant customers are concerned about diet and nutrition. Some 39 percent of the population say they are "committed to nutrition" and order mostly salads, veggies and grilled or baked products. Another 29 percent are "vacillators about nutrition," who care about nutrition but give into temptation by combining traditional fast-foods with more healthy products.
10. All fats are bad for you.
False. Some fat is necessary in the diet. Polyunsaturated fats come from vegetable products such as safflower and sunflower seeds, corn, soybean and cotton seeds. These help lower your body's blood cholesterol level by getting rid of excessive, newly formed cholesterol. However, you shouldn't consume too much fat or oil. Total fat daily intake should be limited to a maximum of 30 percent of total daily calories.