If you are trying your best to lose weight or you just want to enjoy a balanced or healthy diet, you will definitely monitor one thing. That is your per day calories in-take level. Well, if you are eating more calories, you will gain weight faster. Why? Well, the excess calories are generally stored in the body as fats. But calories can be found everywhere, from fast food to vegetables. Now, you may think that processed low fat foods are typically low in calories. This is not true. In fact, eating processed food can damage your body.
But to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you need to consume a sufficient level of calories. Too much, and you will gain weight. On the other hand, eating too little will make you underweight. So, most fitness experts advise consuming foods that are low in calories but are rich in nutrients. After all, eating only fat and carbohydrates will not enough for your body.
Processed low fat foods are typically low in calories?
Some people think that processed low fat foods are typically low in calories. This is false. As per the experts, the food items themselves make the difference in how long the item takes to digest. In the case of vegetables or strawberries, they are low in calories and also quite healthy.
If you are consuming butter along with a piece of cake, then you are consuming a lot of fats. And this is not a good thing for your body.
With time, low-fat processed foods have become an important thing among people who want to lose weight faster. Well, some companies may claim that the food doesn’t contain any saturated fats. But in reality, such food may include a huge amount of saturated fat.
Should you consume processed low-fat foods?
Are fat-free and processed low-fat foods good for you? This is a dangerous misconception of people. Even though they know about the nutritional content of such food, they still are using these foods.
For many years, many food companies are deceiving buyers through ingenious marketing methods. They tell the buyers that low-fat foods are perfect for people who want to maintain or lose weight.
Remember that processed and low-fat foods contain sugar. And this is an abundant and common source of carbohydrates. As per the studies, in 100 grams of sugar, you will find around 380 calories. Processed, low-fat foods contain a huge amount of them. Its presence compensates for the bad taste.
On the other hand, eating such foods means your diet includes a lot of carbohydrates. As per the health experts, one should take around 225 to 325 grams of carbohydrates. As most of these come from low-fat and processed foods, you may end up gaining more weight. Besides, your body will also lack other required nutrients, for example, vitamins, proteins, and more.
Why should you avoid processed foods?
- The foods are addictive
In general, processed foods are prepared to stimulate the brain’s dopamine centers. So, you will get attracted to such foods.
- They lack the required nutritional value
Some processed foods come with added minerals or vitamins to add a tiny amount of nutritional value. So, this is not enough for your body.
- The foods contain more sodium and sugar
Even low-fat foods also contain a huge level of sodium or sugar. They may taste good but can severely damage the body in the long run. As per the studies, eating such foods can lead to obesity, heart disease, blood pressure, diabetes, and more.
Are fat-free foods good for you? Know more here
Most people think low-fat foods are the best. As the food contains less fat, they can eat as much as they want. Are fat-free foods good for you?
Well, associating low fat with a smaller amount of calories is a bad thing, and people can easily fall into it. You purchased your favorite potato chips, and you found the word low-fat on the package. So, you brought more chips. Is it good? Probably not.
Foods labeled with low-fat or fat-free don’t match with calorie-free. Besides, they generally come with additives such as chemical fillers, sugar, salt, and more.
So, instead of reading the printed claims on the package’s front side, you should check the nutritional facts. Besides, you should understand about healthy fats.
It’s time for healthy fats
Stop looking for foods claiming low fat. Instead of that, you need to concentrate on consuming foods that contain healthy fat. Don’t worry at all as you will not gain weight from it.
Healthy fats mean monosaturated fats. Avocados, olive oil, nuts, and more come with such fats. In fact, the best part is that they can effectively lower the bad cholesterol or LDL and increase the level of good cholesterol or HDL. On the other hand, you can consume omega-3 fats found in oily fish like anchovies and salmon.
Healthy fats are crucial for maintaining a healthy body, blood vessels, and they also help in creating hormones. Besides, they play a great role in keeping the functioning of the nervous system. What’s more? Healthy fats in your diet can also help the body in absorbing different vitamins, especially the fat-soluble vitamins, like Vitamins E, K, A, and B.
When it comes to enjoying a good diet, you need to completely avoid trans fats. Because such fats can trigger inflammation in your body, the foods or products that come with hydrogenated oil can have trans fats.
Some effective tips
- Consume more seeds, nuts, and fish. For instance, instead of bacon, you can go for salmon. Forget the chips and start consuming unsalted nuts.
- You can trim the visible fat layers from your meat.
- Always check the labels on the products you are buying.
- Instead of using spreads, you can use unsaturated oils, such as pumpkin or walnut, as dipping.
- Try to avoid frying the item. As an alternative, you can bake, grill or steam the foods.
- Instead of mayo, using plain yogurt will be a healthy choice. To make it healthier, you can add a few drops of lemon juice to it. Besides, adding chives or mixed herbs will also work great.
Final Verdicts
The above-mentioned information can help you to get the answer to your question, whether the processed low-fat foods are typically low in calories or not. To maintain a healthy body and to lose weight faster, there is no need to depend on low-fat foods. All you need to change your diet plan, add healthy fats to the diet plan, and you are ready to go.