The 10 Sneakiest Tricks Most Food Manufacturers Play On Us

Trick #9: “Low Calorie” and “Reduced Fat” Foods

The trick: Products get labeled “low calorie” or “reduced fat” to resonate with consumers as a low fat food.

These are tricky terms because it only means “lower calories than the typical, high-calorie version of the product.” It’s still going to be much higher in calories than a carrot!

So if you see a food labeled “low calorie,” there’s a good chance the producer also has an original or older version of the product.

How to spot it: No matter what the packaging says, read the actual nutrition facts label and you’ll see the true number of calories and fat per serving. Chances are it will still be relatively high (or the serving size will be very small.)

Worst offender: The Ruffles potato chips pictured above. I do believe the “25% less fat than regular Ruffles Potato Chips” claim, but look at the rest of the bag. They have the nerve to put wording on there like “Smart Choices Made Easy” and “Heart Healthy Oil.” Is that supposed to mean that potato chips are good for your heart?! Ha!

Honorable mentions include all the varieties of reduced fat potato chips. Reduced fat chips aren’t low in fat compared to fruits and vegetables, just slightly lower in fat than regular chips.

What to do: It’s simple – avoid chips and snack crackers. They are all high in calories and not filling at all, so have some good fruit instead.