How healthy is that healthy snack...

Does reduced fat mean reduced sugar?

You might wonder why we're stacking up the sugar in reduced fat foods. After all, they're not making any claims about reducing sugar. Just because a cookie is touted as low fat doesn't mean it has less sugar than its regular counterpart and a reduction of fat does not necessarily mean a major reduction in calories.

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The Reduced Fat Oreos won't help you much if you're counting calories - they have almost as many calories as the regular ones and the sugar content is the same. The Snack Cakes do have fewer calories, but a comparable amount of sugar.


Reduced Fat Oreos
3 cookies (34g)
Sugars, total: 14g
Calories, total: 150
Calories from sugar: 56

Oreo Snack Cakes
1 package (24g)
Sugars, total: 9g
Calories, total: 100
Calories from sugar: 36

Oreos
3 cookies (34g)
Sugars, total: 14g
Calories, total: 160
Calories from sugar: 56


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The portion size is a little disappointing here. This is a very small handful, but they did manage to pack in the sugar.



Oreo Candy Bites
1 package (22g)
Sugars, total: 12g
Calories, total: 100
Calories from sugar: 48



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All those little cookie wafers will last longer but in the end, they have just as much sugar and about as many calories as two regular (and much better tasting) Chips Ahoy cookies.
 

Chips Ahoy (regular)
2 cookies (20g)
Sugars, total: 7g
Calories, total: 98
Calories from sugar: 28

Chips Ahoy Thin Crisps
1 package (23g)
Sugars, total: 7g
Calories, total: 100
Calories from sugar: 28


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These cute little bite-size cupcakes are about equivalent to a half of a regular cupcake in terms of sugar and calories.



Hostess Cupcake
100 Calorie Pack (37g)
Sugars, total: 10g
Calories, total: 100
Calories from sugar: 40

Hostess Cupcake
1 Regular (49.5g)
Sugars, total: 22g
Calories, total: 175
Calories from sugar: 88


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These Snackwells may seem like a good idea, but that's a pretty average amount of sugar for two cookies, and that's the same amount of calories you'd get in two regular Oreos.


Snackwell Creme Sandwiches
2 cookies (25g)
Sugars, total: 9g
Calories, total: 110
Calories from sugar: 36

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These stats seem less impressive when you realize that this is only one not very substantial cookie. With such a small cookie, how many will you need to eat to feel satisfied?


Snackwell Devil's Food Cookies
1 cookie (16g)
Sugars, total: 7g
Calories, total: 50
Calories from sugar: 28

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When you compare these two puddings, you will find that the difference in sugar is negligible. This is not really a surprise since they didn't make any claims about less sugar. In this case, however, the fat reduction actually did make a significant impact on the calorie count.


Chocolate Pudding
Regular Pudding (99g)
Sugars, total: 16g
Calories, total: 130
Calories from sugar: 64

Low Fat Pudding (99g)
Sugars, total: 15g
Calories, total: 80
Calories from sugar: 60


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Here is another case where the low fat version has almost as many calories as the original, and the same amount of sugar.  You know the low fat is going to be dry and taste weird. Unless you're really concerned about fat, you might as well get the regular ones.


Quaker Chewy Granola Bars
Chocolate Chip (regular) (24g)
Sugars, total: 7g
Calories, total: 100
Calories from sugar: 28

Low Fat Chocolate Chunk (24g)
Sugars, total: 7g
Calories, total: 90
Calories from sugar: 28






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We really need to read the labels and decide what it is that we want to put in our bodies. Food companies spend a lot of time and money to find legal ways to persuade us to purchase their products. It's important to take the time to know what you are buying.

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Contributed by: The Mind of a Mom