- Hi, I am Claire Turnbull, Nutritionist for Healthy Food Guide Magazine. Today I am going to tell you all about foods in the supermarket which are labelled LITE! Are they really better for you?
- Firstly, what does light/LITE mean? Well, light can mean a whole host of things. The word lite on food packaging isn’t regulated and it is often used to describe foods which have been ‘lightened’ in some way. It can refer to lower fat, salt or alcohol, but may also refer to texture or colour
- There are some LITE choices which are healthier alternatives. They are general those foods which are significantly lower in KJ, fat and or salt that the original version of the food. Here are some examples:
o Lite sour cream -56% less fat and saves 1/3 of KJ compared to the original - agreat alternative
o Light cream cheese - 1/2 the fat and Saves 1/3 of KJ when compared to standard cream cheese
o Lite milk – Keeps the fat and KJ down – a great choice
o Lite soy milk – helpful if you want to cut down KJ
o Light table spread – these vary, some can be only 25% fat rather than over 80%. Look at the labelLite coconut milk – A fantastic LITE product. Coconut is full of saturated fat, adn this lite coconut milk can save 60% or MORE fat when compared to the original – buy a brand with less than 7g/100g
- Even though these are healthier options, it doesn’t mean you need more of them. You will only get the benefit if you eat the same amount, or less!
- So, alongside these ‘helpful’ light products, there are some which aren’t really significantly different to the original versions.
Examples include:
o Light peanut butter – here they have reduced the amount of peanuts in the peanut butter and and added starch and sugars – it only saves 12% save of KJ
o Light creamed rice – very slightly better – only very slightly lower in KJ and fat than the original version
o Light chocolate – only a small reduction in fat andsugar – best to have less of one you like!
- There are also some light products which have no health benefits at all, and the word light just refers to the colour or texture of the food.
o Light oil is an example, its’ still 100% fat – the ‘light’ just refers to the colour
o Some chips are called ‘Thin and Light’ – check the back of the packed because some are the same total fat as normal chips.
So, with foods which say LIGHT, its best to check what the word light is referring to by looking at the nutritional information panel
If you want more information about Lite products and reading food labels, ... go to www.healthyfood.co.nz, or pick up a copy of Healthy Food Guide magazine, only $5.50 from supermarkets and bookstores.
© Reproduced with permission from Healthy Food Guide magazine. On sale in supermarkets and bookstores for only $5.50. www.healthyfood.co.nz
