Do Not Be Fooled by Low-Fat Sweets

Often, when food manufacturers remove fat from cookies, crackers, cakes, and other snack foods, they add sugar to make up for the flavor lost with the fat. The result is that many low-fat snacks provide the same amount of calories—or more—as the original product. So a low-fat banner on the package does not give you free reign to eat too many. It is still important to look at calories and limit snacks.

Find Other Ways to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Sometimes a little bit of sugar goes a long way. Try some of these tactics:

• Instead of the sugary cereal you have been eating since you were a kid, make a bowl of oatmeal and top it with some brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
• Mix ¼ cup of a sugary cereal with ¾ cup of a less sugary cereal. Check the Nutrition Facts label for the sugar content.
• Snack on a bowl of applesauce. If it is not sweet enough, then add raisins or brown sugar.
• Fruits, both fresh and dried, are sweet and may offer you the sweet fix you are looking for at 3:00 in the afternoon or after dinner. Before heading for the candy, try some fruit first and see if that satisfies your sweet tooth.
• Dark chocolate (made with 70% cocoa or more) has less sugar and can be rich and satisfying in small amounts.

Choose Diet Versions

If you just love the taste of soda and cannot imagine having popcorn or pizza with anything else, try a diet version. Or, if it is the bubbles you crave, have a glass of one of these zero calorie beverages:

• Seltzer water (some are flavored)
• Club soda (add a splash of fruit juice for flavor)