Training Yourself To Make Better Choices

Every time you walk into a supermarket these days there are dozens of new low-fat and nonfat products to be found. These products can be a boon for anyone trying to lose weight. Switching to a low-fat or nonfat version of a product can save you anywhere from 1 to 22 grams of fat. That translates into 9 to 198 calories. All it takes is a little exchange know-how to use low-fat products to your advantage. If you use these products to help you reduce your dietary fat intake by just 13 grams a day (and that should be easy!), you could lose one pound of body fat in one month. That's without even trying. Use this table to get a handle on just how much calories, fat and sodium you'll be saving. Simply look up the food you're shopping for and go for the version of each product marked with an asterisk (*). Note: Even the light and low-fat versions of many of these foods can pack a pretty hefty dose of fat and calories. You need to evaluate any foods that contain fat in terms of the rest of your diet. There are a variety of brands on the market for the following products. All figures in this chart are based on averages of these products, so be sure to check individual labels for specific figures. Food Portion Calories Fat (g.) Sodium Bacon Regular 1 slice 36 3 101 Light* 1 slice 18 1 140 Bologna Regular 3 slices 270 24 810 Low-fat* 3 slices 60 2 590 Brownies, from Mix Regular 1 (29 sq.) 150 7 90 Light* 1 (29 sq.) 100 2 75 Cake, Yellow, from Mix Regular 1/12 Cake 260 11 310 Light* 1/12 Cake 200 4 310 Cake Frosting, Vanilla Regular 1 oz. 160 6 30 Light* 1 oz. 130 1 30 Cheese Regular 1 oz. 90 7 390 Low-fat 1 oz. 58 3.5 230 Nonfat* 1 oz. 40 0 260 Cookies Chocolate chip Regular 0.5 oz. 55 2.5 45 Low-fat* 0.5 oz. 60 1 85 Double fudge Regular 1 cookie 77 3.2 68 Fat-free* 1 cookie 50 0 65 Oatmeal raisin Regular 1 cookie 59 2 22 Low-fat* 1 cookie 60 1 65 Sandwich, chocolate/vanilla creme Regular 1 cookie 50 2.3 48 Low-fat* 1 cookie 50 1 65 Cottage Cheese Regular 4 oz. 120 5 460 Low-fat 4 oz. 90 1 490 Nonfat* 4 oz. 80 0 390 Crackers Cheese Regular 12 (0.5 oz.) 75 4 265 Low-fat* 18 (0.5 oz.) 60 1 160 Wheat Regular 5 (0.5 oz.) 70 3 135 Fat-Free* 5 (0.5 oz.) 50 0 160 Cream Cheese Regular 1 oz. 100 9.9 90 Light 1 oz. 70 6 115 Fat-free* 1 oz. 30 0 180 Fig Bars Regular 1 60 1 60 Fat-free* 1 70 0 85 Frozen Desserts Ice cream (16% fat) 1/2 cup 175 11.9 54 Frozen yogurt, regular, chocolate 1/2 cup 140 4 65 Frozen yogurt*, nonfat, all flavors 1/2 cup 100 0 60 Frozen Entrées Chicken parmigiana dinner Regular 11.5 oz. 400 16 1,050 Low-fat* 11.5 oz. 290 6 340 French bread pizza Regular 5 oz. 350 14 630 Low-fat* 5 oz. 300 4 470 Salisbury steak dinner Regular 11.5 oz. 410 18 900 Low-fat* 11.5 oz. 280 7 550 Turkey dinner Regular 11.5 oz. 340 11 980 Low-fat* 11.5 oz. 280 4 570 Granola Regular 1 oz. 130 6 15 Low-fat* 1 oz. 115 2 55 Granola Bar Regular 1 (0.75 oz.) 120 4.2 80 Low-fat* 1 (0.75 oz.) 110 2 95 Hot Dogs Regular, beef 1 180 16 690 Low-fat, beef 1 50 1 460 Fat-free*, meatless 1 40 0 290 Margarine Regular 1 Tbsp. 90 10 90 Low-fat 1 Tbsp. 35 4 50 Nonfat* 1 Tbsp. 5 0 90 Mayonnaise Regular 1 Tbsp. 100 12 75 Light 1 Tbsp. 50 5 110 Fat-free* 1 Tbsp. 10 0 105 Milk Regular 8 oz. 150 8 125 2% 8 oz. 120 5 125 1% 8 oz. 110 2 130 Skim* 8 oz. 90 1 130 Pancakes, from Mix Regular 3 (49) 230 5.7 950 Light* 3 (49) 130 2 570 Pasta Sauce Regular 4 oz. 110 5 510 Low-fat 4 oz. 40 1 350 Nonfat* 4 oz. 45 0 350 Peanut Butter, Chunky Regular 2 Tbsp. 190 17 140 Reduced-fat* 2 Tbsp. 190 13 170 Popcorn, Microwave Regular 3 cups 100 6 170 Low-fat* 3 cups 60 1 160 Potato Chips Regular 1 oz. 150 10 190 Fat-free* 1 oz. 100 1 160 Pudding, Chocolate

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