16 low-fat foods that are making you fat.

July 9, 2016

If you really thought about it, there’s something “wrong” with every single food you eat. There’s so much information out there about what we should and shouldn’t be eating that it can be impossible figure out the healthiest food choices for you.

Adding to the confusion are the number of low-fat foods that masquerade as healthy however can contain ridiculous amounts of sugar and other scary substances that have no place in a weight-loss or weight-maintenance diet.

When it comes to low-fat foods, on top of all of that sugar and chemical substances, we tend to over-eat them for a couple of reasons. Firstly because they fail to satisfy us like their high-fat, richer counterparts and secondly because in our crazy brains we think we can eat more because they are “healthy”.

Here are 16 low-fat foods you need to stop eating now.

1. ChocolateMedical experts have confirmed that low-fat chocolate does more harm than good for a couple of reasons. Firstly, low-fat chocolate has too much sugar, like most low-fat foods and secondly, some of the sugar substitutes used in such products leave the body craving sugar. Image: iStock

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2. YoghurtSome low-fat yoghurts, in particular the flavoured variety, contained an extremely high amount of sugar, sometimes as much as ice-cream. When choosing a healthier yoghurt make sure you read the nutritional chart because some are much lower in sugar than others. Image: iStock

7. Dried FruitFresh fruit contains sugar however the fibre fills you up quickly. NOT the case with dried fruit which can contain as much sugar and calories as a handful of your favourite lollies. Image: iStock

8. Peanut ButterI added a sprinkle of salt to my natural peanut butter on toast. (Image via iStock.)

10. MuseliMuseli is such a delicious food containing lots of healthy nuts and seeds and in it's full-fat form is a great choice sprinkled on top of Greek yoghurt, however low-fat varieties containing no seeds and nuts aren't any healthier due once again to the high sugar content and the lack of protein owing to the absence of the nuts and seeds. Image: iStock

11. Salad DressingJodie's daughter may not be getting the nutrients she needs from her diet. (Image via Getty.)

13. Instant OatmealOatmeal is such a delicious winter breakfast, particularly in it's original form with some fruit added to it. However the flavoured instant varieties can contain as much sugar as dry sugary cereals so aren't a great choice for a regular breakfast. Image: iStock

14. Wrap BreadWrap bread is so think and so lacking in fat that many feel they can't go wrong with it as a healthy choice, however many wrap breads are calorie dense and full of carbs, despite the health choices of fillings and often a healthy sliced bread is a better choice. Image: iStock

15. PretzelsThere is nothing healthy about salty, low-fat pretzels which are carb-heavy and don't even get me started on the chocolate-dipped kind and the gigantic pastry ones you find in some supermarkets. Try a small amount of nuts and seeds instead. Image: iStock

16. Pita ChipsPita chips are the ultimate wolf in sheeps clothing when it comes to low-fat foods that masquerade as healthy. Most pita chips, even oven-baked ones, have just as many calories as corn chips, especially if you dip them into pre-made salsa instead of your own, healthy variety. Image: iStock

For those of us training for events such as City 2 Surf (do you like how I threw that in there?) we need to be extra careful about what we eat and how we exercise. Because there are only a few weeks left to go. A bunch of us here at Mamamia Women’s Network will be running the event this year to raise money for the brilliant Sister2Sister program.

You can make a donation to our team here.

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