Warning: These Five "Diet" Foods Can Make You Fat!

I have an acquaintance I'll call "T." T is always looking for ways to lose weight. Since she was a teenager, she's been struggling with an extra unwanted ten or twenty pounds, seesawing between being "heavy" and being "almost right." In her attempts at dieting, she's always reaching for the latest ways to lose weight without feeling deprived.

I see her making a lot of mistakes. But I've always lived by a set of personal principles, one of the major ones being that unless someone specifically asks me for my opinion, I keep my mouth firmly shut. Although I realize now that does not include blog posts ... 

So, this is for you, T. There are "diet" foods that are making you, er, fat. There, I said it. Stay away from these foods, please. And just maybe, one day soon, that seesaw will finally be abandoned. 
Fattening Diet Food: Sugar-Free Cookies

In theory, they sound like a sure-thing. But beware: these cookies, though lacking in sugar, can still contain up to nine grams of fat. 

T: "What can I do instead? I love cookies!"

Try eating Graham Crackers. They have enough crunch and sweetness to be satisfying. And, they have almost one teaspoon of sugar less per serving than other cookies and only about ONE gram of fat.
Fattening Diet Food: Fat-Free Salad Dressing

While a full-fat dressing can make a salad more caloric than a Big Mac, a dressing devoid of fat is not the best idea, either. In order for your body to absorb certain nutrients found in vegetables, it needs a little bit of fat. For instance, people who use fat-free dressings do not reap the benefits of beneficial things like lycopene (found in tomatoes) or beta carotene (in carrots); a little fat is essential for proper absorption.

T: "But salad without dressing? Ew!"

Look for dressings that contain heart-healthy oils, like olive or canola, and have 2-4 grams of fat per serving. A serving, or approximately 2 teaspoons, will add up to 150 calories or so, but these calories are important to help you reap the health benefits ofwhat you're eating. Or, do as I do: spritz your salad with some olive oil. I use a neat thing called Misto and love it.
Fattening Diet Food: Veggie Chips

They may sound healthy--after all, they're vegetables, right? Beets, sweet potatoes ... yum! Wrong. They're no better than regular chips, since the word "chip" is just another way of saying "deep fried." They can have about the same amount of calories and fat as regular chips ... AND they may even include food coloring, so they can be disguised as veggies when they're really not.

T: "But I love crunch and salt. What’s a girl to do?"

Substitute baked tortilla chips with salsa. It's a nearly fat-free snack, plus one-half cup of salsa can equal a full serving of veggies. Just make sure to watch the salt content; both snacks can pack on the sodium. Best to check and see if you can find a low-sodium variety of salsa and chips or make your own salsa at home.
Fattening Diet Food: Fruit Snacks

Again, it sounds healthy because of the word "fruit," but, like many fruit juices, fruit snacks many contain little to no real fruit. Instead, they rely on added sugars and artificial flavors to fool your taste buds into thinking you're really eating strawberries, cherries, or even peaches.

T: "But it's so easy for me to grab a bagful and bring these along for a quick snack."

Instead, grab some fresh fruit, which has many advantages like fiber, cancer-fighting antioxidants, and valuable phytonutrients. And what could be easier than a banana? It's already in its own protective wrapper, contains potassium to regulate blood pressure and fluid retention, vitamin B6 for energy, and fiber for regular bowel movements.
Fattening Diet Food: 100-Calorie Snack Packs

Seems like a good idea, and it may work for some. But according to the Journal for Cosumer Research, we can be easily deceived by food labels and eat more of a food if we think it is a "small" portion (otherwise known as "guiltless gluttony"). In fact, their study found that participants who were given 100-calorie snacks ate significantly MORE than those who were given regular-sized bags of potato chips!

T: "These are a life-saver to me, as well as being so convenient. Now what?"

Besides being expensive, all the extra packaging is bad for the environment. Plus, the snacks in snack packs typically lack hunger-fighting nutrients like fiber, protein, and healthy fats, which leads many people to reach for a second, third, or even fourth pack. Don't be fooled, either, if the label touts "no trans-fats" ... that doesn't mean they don't contain unhealthy hydrogenated oils, the prime source of trans-fats. Manufacturers are legally permitted to label products trans-fat-free if they contain less than 0.5 grams per serving (an unhealthy twist of fate, I know).

If you need something easy and portable, grab some fresh fruit or pack a reusable snack-size bag with some baby carrots, cut-up celery, or a handful of nuts.

Sheryl Kraft is Health & Wellness Editor at EndlessBeauty.com