When you are looking for diet foods in your grocery store, you may notice that many of the statements on the boxes imply that if you eat a certain food, you will lose weight. While some foods specifically designed to assist dieters fall under the good-for-you category, there are some diet foods you can leave off your list.
Definition
A well-balanced diet requires no specialized foods, as you can lose weight by eating smaller quantities of most foods. While you should avoid a steady diet of sweets and fast food, you can enjoy those choices occasionally and still lose weight. Food manufacturers often give a food a "diet" designation based on its perceived weight-loss benefits, low-calorie nature and convenient packaging for busy people. Read the label before purchasing a diet food to ensure it meets your requirements for a healthy food.
Processed Diet Foods
Prepackaged sweet snack packages, diet smoothies, low-calorie diet crackers and reduced-calorie soups may have fewer calories than their traditional counterparts, but the foods have little nutritional value. Reduced-calorie soups may have over 800 mg of sodium per serving, which is about half of your total dietary allowance. A diet strawberry-banana smoothie gives you only 91 calories, but also has 18 g of sugar. Too much sugar may be detrimental to your weight-loss efforts, as evidenced by a study published in the May 2003 edition of "Obesity Reviews." Crackers and prepackaged low-calorie cookies offer you little or no fiber, and you may find it difficult to eat just one small serving. The low-fiber content in some diet foods makes it likely that you will feel hungry sooner than if you consume high-fiber foods.
Frozen Diet Dinners
The convenience and quick preparation methods of frozen diet meals may tempt you into eating one or two frozen meals a day. While the calories in most diet meals are appropriate for weight-loss, many of the meals have excessive sodium. For example, a frozen dinner of lemon pepper fish has 520 mg of sodium, and a frozen chicken panini contains 675 mg. Additionally, the meals contain no fresh fruit or vegetables, both of which the Centers for Disease Control indicate may help you lose weight. Use frozen chicken tenders, raw or frozen vegetables and pieces of whole fruit as a quick, healthy dinner. Easy alternatives to frozen diet meals include steaming a mix of frozen vegetables and serving them over brown rice or serving a piece of grilled fish with a pre-washed salad.
Diet Bars
Bars designed for weight loss may not be the best choice for losing weight, because the calories, sugar and preservatives in the bars may be similar to a standard candy bar, according to the Cleveland Clinic. A high-fiber bar with 22.5 g of healthy fiber also contains 25 g of sugar and 350 calories, which is more calories than a standard-sized candy bar. A healthy alternative is to make a pan of homemade bars with oatmeal, honey, sunflower seeds and an egg substitute. Freeze the cooked bars in individual serving sizes.
References
- Colorado State University Extension; Understanding the Food Label; Jennifer Anderson, et al.; December 2010
- "Obesity Reviews"; Effects of Sugar Intake on Body Weight: A Review; S.H.F. Vermunt, et al.; May 2003
- Lean Cuisine: Nutrition Information; January 2011
- USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory: Smoothie, Strawberry-Banana, Fiber Bar
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Can Eating Fruits and Vegetables Help People to Manage Their Weight?
- Cleveland Clinic; 6 Diet Foods to Avoid; October 2010
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