| Please note: This document references the Food Guide Pyramid, which was updated in April 2005 by the United States Department of Agriculture and is now the MyPyramid Food Guidance System. Please visit http://www.mypyramid.gov for more information. |
This brochure shows how lower-fat foods (including reduced-fat, low-fat and fat-free foods) can help you manage the fat in your diet while you continue to enjoy your favorite foods. In moderation, and as part of a healthful diet, these foods make it easy to make low-fat choices. They don't add extra time and effort to your already busy lifestyle. They help you eat healthfully and enjoy it!
Balance: The Key to Good Taste and Good Health
Many of our favorite foods contain significant amounts of fat. That's because fat provides much of the great taste we enjoy in foods. Fats are also important to the texture we enjoy in foods—the creaminess of ice cream or chocolate; the silky smoothness of salad dressing; the light, moist texture of cakes; and the tender crispiness of cookies.
Fats are necessary to good health, too. Dietary fats provide energy, vital hormone-like substances and essential fatty acids for healthy skin. They also carry and help the body absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Myth: Reduced-fat foods are always low in fat.
Fact: These foods are lower in fat than their full-fat counterparts, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are "low fat." To know the facts, read the nutrition label and compare the fat content of two similar products with the same serving size. Use the nutrition label to check the calories.
While we can't do without fat in foods, we're wise to limit how much of it we eat. Too much dietary fat may increase your risk of chronic disease. Eating too much fat may also play a role in becoming overweight because ounce for ounce, fats contain twice as many calories as protein and carbohydrates.
Make smart choices. Follow the Food Guide Pyramid and enjoy plenty of grains, vegetables and fruits and eat recommended amounts of lean meats, poultry and fish, and lower-fat dairy products. Enjoy margarine, butter, oils and salad dressing in moderation. And don't forget lower-fat and fat-free versions of your favorite foods.
Use Lower Fat Foods to Help Meet Your Goals
Many of the new lower-fat and fat-free foods in supermarkets today have been in the making for several years, since health officials asked the food industry to develop more lower-fat foods to help Americans eat less fat. Using lower-fat foods may help people come closer to meeting dietary fat goals.
Myth: Low fat means low calorie.
Fact: Reducing the amount of fat in food doesn't necessarily me it's low in calories. While some products may be lower in fat, the calorie content may be equal to or even higher than that found in the regular product.
There are lower-fat versions of milk, meat, salad dressing, mayonnaise, baked goods, frozen desserts, confections, cheeses, salted snacks, sauces and gravies, sour cream, margarine, yogurt and puddings. To cut the amount of fat in foods such as low-fat milk and trimmed meats, some of the fat is simply removed. But in many foods just taking out the fat leaves food that doesn't meet taste expectations.
To produce good-tasting, lower-fat versions of familiar foods, a combination of ingredients is commonly used. Water, air, carbohydrate-, protein- and fat-based ingredients all serve as fat replacers in many of today's lower-fat foods.
Carbohydrates such as starches and gums have long been used to thicken foods. They are also used to produce the smooth texture that fat provides in many foods. Protein-based ingredients come from whey, egg white or soy and corn proteins. They can enhance texture and retain the moisture in foods. Fat-based replacement ingredients provide the same taste and texture of traditional fats but contain fewer or no calories.
The FDA: An Assurance of Safety
Most of the ingredients used to replace fats in foods are not new and are classified as "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) by the US. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A GRAS substance is one that has a long history of safe use in foods, or is determined to be safe based on scientific research. Many common food ingredients such as sugar and spices are GRAS.
Myth: Fat-free means taste-free.
Fact: Although many of the first fat-free products on the market did not meet taste expectations, today's products have greatly improved. If certain fat-free products don't satisfy your taste buds, try low-fat versions.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves new ingredients for use in the food supply based on review of extensive scientific research on safety. To assure safety, it may set recommended limits on the use of the ingredient. It may also require special food labeling and monitoring of ingredient use. To date, poly-dextrose, a carbohydrate-based fat replacer, and olestra, a calorie-free fat replacer, have been approved by FDA for use in foods in this manner.
Healthful Eating: The Road to Well-Being
Lower-fat foods are one way to reduce the fat in your diet. It's also important to recognize that calories still count—even in lower-fat or fat-free foods. Be sensible about portion sizes. Use lower-fat foods as part of an overall healthful diet. Remember, it's all about making smart choices.
Your Choice: Balance Higher-Fat Foods with Lower-Fat Foods
You don't need to completely cut fat out of your diet. Instead, be moderate. Balance what you eat to include your favorite foods while keeping total fat intake within limits.
For example, enjoy full-fat snacks once in a while. To keep your fat intake down, try lower-fat and no-fat snacks for a change.
Remember that eating healthfully is just one part of a healthy lifestyle. Being physically active is also key. To successfully adopt a healthy lifestyle, it helps to:
Be Realistic
- Make small changes over time in what you eat and the level of activity that you do. After all, small steps work better than giant leaps.
- Modify your food choices gradually. That may be easier than overhauling your whole diet at one time.
Be Flexible
- Balance what you eat over several days. No need to worry about just one meal or one day.
- Balance full-fat dips or spreads with low-fat crackers and chips—a way to have the snacks and taste you love while reducing the fat.
Be Active
- Walk the dog, don't just watch the dog walk.
- Get energized; it will help keep you motivated to stay healthy. Take a brisk 10-minute walk in the morning, at lunch and after dinner. That's 30 minutes of physical activity a day.
- Park your car in the furthest spot from your destination. You'll walk more and burn extra calories.
Your Choice: Be Sensible Yet Adventurous
Together, balance, variety and moderation form the basis for a healthful diet. A varied diet includes many different foods because no single food supplies all needed nutrients. A balanced diet includes appropriate amounts of grains, vegetables, fruits, milk-based foods, and meat/meat alternatives to supply the right amount of calories and nutrients for you. Calorie needs vary depending on your age and activity level. Moderation means carefully selecting foods and beverages to get the right amount of calories, fat and other nutrients. That's right-calories still count! Too much of even low-fat foods can add up to too many calories. So:
Be Sensible
- Enjoy all foods, just don't overdo it.
- Eat foods from the five major food groups each day. include plenty of breads, cereals, rice, pasta, vegetables and fruits.
- Have one helping and enjoy every bite.
- Make your ice cream cone a single, not a double dip.
- Eat foods that contain fat replacers in the same moderate portion size as you would the full-fat versions.
- Remember-the recommended portion size for foods that contain fat replacers is the same as that of the full-fat version.
Be Adventurous
- Expand your tastes to enjoy a variety of foods.
- Pick up up a food you don't normally buy each time you grocery shop.
- Try new lower-fat and fat-free versions of your favorite foods. Enjoy reduced-fat and fat-free cakes, cookies, chips and other snacks in moderation.
Read the Label
Use the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels to help balance your food choices. It shows how many calories as well as how much fat and other nutrients are in a food. The ingredient list will name the types of fat and fat replacers used. There's no need to track every food you eat. For foods you eat often, check the %DV (Daily Value) column to balance higher and lower-fat food choices. The terms used on food labels also have strict definitions to help you make choices.
Amount of fat in one serving |
| Fat free | less than 0.5 gram |
| Low fat | 3 grams or less |
| Reduced or less fat | at least 25% less* |
| Light | one-third fewer calories or 50% less fat* |
| *as compared with a standard serving size of the traditional food How Fat Replacers Can Help Reduce Fat and Calorie Intake |
This menu shows the differences in fat and calorie content that foods containing fat replacers can make. Be savvy and sensible. Keep in mind that portion size still counts.
| Regular Lunch: |
| Calories | Fat Grams |
| 2 slices bread | 130 | 2 |
| 1 oz American cheese | 105 | 9 |
| 2 oz bologna | 180 | 17 |
| 1 tbsp mayonnaise | 100 | 11 |
| Banana | 105 | 0 |
| 2 chocolate cookies (30 grams) | 140 | 6 |
| Total | 760 | 45 |
| Fat-Replaced Lunch: |
| Calories | Fat Grams |
| 2 slices bread | 130 | 2 |
| 1 oz reduced-fat cheese product | 75 | 4 |
| 2 oz fat-free bologna | 40 | 0 |
| 1 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise/ dressing | 25 | 1 |
| Banana | 105 | 0 |
| 2 reduced-fat chocolate cookies (30 grams) | 120 | 3 |
| Total | 495 | 10 |
Fat Replacers: What are they?In response to consumer demand and the expert recommendations of such organizations as the National Academy of Sciences, the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health, the food industry now offers consumers a variety of lower fat food choices. These options are made possible by the use of various techniques, including ingredients called fat replacers.
Fat replacers are developed to duplicate the taste and textures of fat and generally fall into three categories; carbohydrate-, protein-, or fat-based. Each category has its own advantages and most practical food applications. Some may also have less desirable attributes. The following chart details each category, how fat replacers are made, their positive contributions to specific foods and any possible limitations associated with them.
PROTEIN-BASED
How Made: Using whey, milk, egg or occasionally corn protein, protein-based fat replacers are made by a special cooking and blending process.
Uses: Cheese, mayonnaise, butter, salad dressings, sour cream, spreads, dairy products, ice cream, baked goods, yogurt.
Advantages: Suitable for use in a variety of food products. Can be used with carbohydrate-based fat replacers in frozen goods and baked goods.
Limitations: May not be a one-for-one fat replacer. In most cases cannot be used in high temperature applications.
CARBOHYDRATE-BASED
How Made: Made of modified food starch, gums and grain- or fruit-based fiber.
Uses: Dairy products, sauces, frozen desserts, salad dressings, baked goods, confections, meat products, chewing gum, dry cake and cookie mixes, frosting and icings.
Advantages: Retains moisture and adds texture to foods.
Limitations: May not be suitable for frying.
FAT-BASED
How Made: Made from various fats and oils like soybean oil, and linked to another compound such as sugar (sucrose). Examples of fat-based fat replacers are olestra and salatrim.
Uses: Savory snacks, chocolate, confections and bakery products.
Advantages: Can partially or fully replace fats and/or oils in all typical consumer and commercial uses. Provides the mouth feel and flavor that fat brings to food. Can be used 'in high temperature cooking and frying.
Limitations: With some fat-based fat replacers, a few individuals may experience digestive changes similar to those people experience when eating many common foods like some types of fruit and high fiber foods. Where necessary, specific amounts of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K are added to the products by manufacturers to make up for potential loss of these nutrients.
This brochure was produced in conjunction with:
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
5600 Fishers Lane (HFI-40) - Rockville, MID 20857
http://www.fda.gov - 1-800-FDA-4010The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a U.S. government agency that makes sure foods are safe, wholesome and honestly labeled.
