In my last post, I covered the importance of not being misled by photos of delicious looking food on packaging and being prepared to question misleading claims. I also touched on the need to understand that low fat isn’t necessarily low calorie. Today I have three more tips and a list of government-regulated labeling terms to keep in mind when buying low calorie and reduced fat products.

(click here for Part One: Tips 1-3)

4. Be very careful of product endorsements by physicians or celebrities!

These individuals may promote a product for certain benefits but often they are not telling you the ways in which the same product might be detrimental to your health or weight loss efforts. For example, an otherwise healthy food might contain a lot of sodium.

5. Take a second look at high fiber claims.

Dietary fiber has been linked with a number of health benefits. It can help with weight loss efforts (see Dietary Fiber and Weight Loss) and lower blood cholesterol levels. However, be aware that added fiber, often called functional fiber, may not offer the same benefits as dietary fiber (the fiber as consumed in the original food).

6. Many multi-grain food products are NOT whole grain.

The benefits of whole grain are many and the list is growing. I’ll be sharing an in-depth article about these benefits in the coming months. Till then, look for whole grains such as oatmeal, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, popcorn, and whole-wheat crackers.

If you would like to learn more about misleading labeling and how to go about picking the healthiest food products, I recommend that you visit a site called eBrandAid.com. At this site you can sign up for a no cost newsletter that will keep you informed about misleading products.

In my first newsletter from eBrandAid (I just signed up recently), the topic was Light Juices. Are you really getting what you want if you purchase light juice? Here’s a quote from the newsletter:

“The Bottom Line: Just about any brand of “reduced sugar” juice is designed to trick consumers into thinking they are getting a healthier option. In reality, you’re drinking up less juice and getting less nutrition. Don’t you feel cheated?”

Something else to keep handy is a list of terms that are important for your weight loss or maintenance efforts. These terms are regulated by the government of the United States.

Low Calorie: 40 calories or fewer per serving

No Calorie or Calorie-Free contains less than 5 calories per serving

Low Fat: 3 grams of fat or fewer per serving

No Fat or Fat Free: contains less than 1/2 gram of fat per serving

Reduced Fat: contains 25% less fat or more than the regular food item

High Fiber: 5 grams of fiber or more per serving

Lite: contains 1/2 the fat per serving or 1/3 the calories of the original product (or similar product)

Sugar Free: contains less than 1/2 gram of sugar per serving

Baked Not Fried: This refers to a product that has been sprayed with a light coating of oil and then baked in an oven instead of being fried. Often used with potato chips, crackers, or other chips.

If you are like most others including me, you don’t have time to examine every product you buy. Here’s what you do. Start creating a list of trustworthy products that you know are good. Then when you are about to reach for a new product that “looks good” or “sounds good”, take a moment and check the facts by reading the ingredient and nutrition labels. Is the new product what it claims to be? If so, you may have found something to add to your list of trusted products. Congratulations on being in charge!

Is it possible to eat low calorie healthy food at a Fast Food restaurant? The answer to that question may depend on your definition of low calorie and healthy. What is low calorie for one person may not be for someone else. What is healthy on the other hand may be a little more universal.

The healthiest foods are rich with nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants. These foods are minimally processed and have no unnecessary added chemicals or dyes. The best way to get healthy food is to buy fresh, local, and organic whenever possible and to prepare the food yourself. However, that ideal situation is simply not a reality for most people.

More likely than not you are busy. You work hard as a student or employee or business owner. In addition you may have a home or family to take care of. Often there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do what you might prefer to do if the circumstances were different.

Fortunately, the average American consumer is more aware than ever of the importance of eating healthy and has a better understanding what is healthy food as opposed to what is not. As a result, nutrition conscious consumers have been speaking up when it comes to having healthy restaurant meals that can be prepared and served quickly yet don’t have an unreasonable number of calories.

Fast food restaurants have been paying attention to this trend for healthier food and have come a long way in making improvements in what they offer. The restaurants that have made the most changes with providing healthier menu items along with smaller portions sizes are doing well while other restaurants that have been slow to change seem to be losing market share.

I first wrote about healthy low calorie restaurant food items more than a year ago when a relatively small number of “healthier” menu items were available . Since then, there’s been an increase in the number of “healthier” menu items. The biggest spike, however, seems to have been in just the past few months. Maybe it has something to do with the changes in menu board calorie labeling in New York City.

New Yorkers have been astonished by the actual calorie content in some of their favorite fast food choices. A new study discovered that when customers knew the calorie counts as a result of the prominent display on menu boards in New York, they ordered an average of 52 calories less. (American Journal of Public Health, August 2008) What may be even more revealing is another study in which customers ordered meals with fewer calories when the menu was labeled but ONLY on Mondays and Tuesdays! (The Economist, 2008)

I’ll leave it up to you to decide if a menu item is healthy or not. I prefer to simply be thankful that Fast Food restaurants are making an effort and offering “healthier” choices. Just like everyone else I have times when I am away from home and need to eat quickly. Fast food is a necessity. What’s exciting is that we now have a bigger selection.

I’m not advocating eating fast food often. However, when you do you’ll want to be armed with the knowledge to make your best choices. An informative article I came across recently may be of help “12 Rules of the Road for Your Favorite Fast-Food Restaurant”. Although the suggestions in this article are good they may not be enough if you are on a low calorie diet. What I prefer to do is keep a list in mind of the restaurants with better choices (healthier and low calorie) and know which menu items are the best bet.

Image via Wikipedia One of the newest and least expected restaurants to join the ranks of those offering healthier fare is Dunkin Donuts. The Dunkin Donuts Company has listened to their customer’s recommendations for change and responded with new menu itmes! They now offer a Dunkin Donuts Smart menu called DDSMART.

In addition to reduced calorie beverages and a healthier multigrain bagel (not low calorie), the highlights of the new menu are two Egg White Flatbread sandwiches. One of the sandwiches features turkey sausage with spinach and reduced-fat mozzarella. The other is a Veggie with peppers, onions, mushrooms, and reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Both sandwiches have less than 300 calories each, nine grams of fat or less, and are served on a toasted multigrain flatbread.

The town I live in no longer has a Dunkin Donuts restaurant. So I guess I won’t be able to give these a try for a while. Someone let me know if they actually taste good.

Starbucks has changed the standard or “default” milk added to drinks from whole milk to reduced-fat milk. That’s a significant reduction in calories but you can take that a step further. If you want milk with your coffee ask for the non-fat milk. Don’t make my mistake and ask for skim or the person you order from might misunderstand and give you “soy” milk instead of “skim” milk. Soy is a good choice but typically has more calories. (Healthy Low Calorie Beverages 100 Calories or Less)

New menu items at other restaurants to look for include:

Chicken Fajita Pita on Whole Grain (Jack in the Box, 307 calories)

Tortilla Soup Trio (Vegetarian tortilla soup, soft taco, and diet beverage for 360 calories, Qdobe Mexican Grill)

Naked Taco Salad (Choose chicken or grilled veggies for about 340 calories with the fat-free picante dressing for 45 calories at Qdobe Mexican Grill)

Chargrilled and Fruit Salad with Reduced Fat Berry Balsamic Dressing (290 calories, Chick-Fil-A’s)

Thin Crust Medium Cheese Pizza (2 slices for 280 calories from Domino’s Pizza)

For more low calorie restaurant choices read my previous articles. Menu items do change but hopefully most of the recommendations are still available:

1. A Low Calorie Restaurant Food Guide
2. Low Calorie Sample Menu and More
3. Healthy Restaurant Food: Is it Low Calorie?