Dodge the diet traps that will leave you fat

Do you struggle to lose weight despite religiously choosing healthy food? Then you’re picking your meals and snacks by their name rather than what’s actually in them!

New research published in the Journal of Consumer Research has found that dieters are far more likely than non-dieters to choose what they eat according to the name of the dish. In one experiment, dieters were offered an identical meal called either a ‘pasta’ or ‘salad’ dish. When called a salad, dieters thought it was healthier, so ate more. But when it was called a pasta dish, they thought it was less healthy, so consumed less. Similar results were found when they were faced with identical sweets called ‘fruit’ chews or ‘candy’ chews.

‘Often when we want to eat virtuously, we make assumptions about foods based on their description. But, in reality, the healthier-sounding option may actually contain more calories than the one that sounds fattening,’ says senior nutrition scientist Bridget Benelam from the British Nutrition Foundation. Over time, that can have a big impact on your waistband. ‘If you want to lose weight, don’t take food at face value. Dig deeper and check out the calories,’ says Bridget. ‘You might be pleasantly surprised to discover that the unhealthy-sounding option actually contains fewer calories than the healthy one!’

To help you cut through the name game, check out our examples of where the healthier-sounding option isn’t automatically the lower-calorie one…

Dodge these diet traps

Fast food diet trap: McDonald’s Sweet Chilli Chicken Deli Sandwich - 570 cals
Savvy swap: McDonald’s Hamburger and Regular Fries - 480 cals

Coffee stop diet trap: Starbucks Skinny Lemon and Poppyseed Muffin - 424 cals
Savvy swap: Starbucks Pain Au Chocolat - 296 cals

Sweet treat diet trap: Eat Natural bar With… Almonds, Apricots and a Yoghurt Coating - 228 cals
Savvy swap: Cadburys Flake - 170 cals

Pub grub diet trap: Ploughman’s lunch - 1,200 cals
Savvy swap: Scampi, chips and peas - 800 cals

Don't be fooled...

■ Products described as fresh, natural, fairtrade or organic have no bearing on calorie content.

■ Low fat doesn’t mean low calorie – some low-fat products are still extremely high in calories.

■ If nutrition information isn’t available, for example, when you’re eating out, remember that ingredients such as cheese, mayo, nuts, dressings and croutons will all bump up the calories.

■ To lose weight and stay healthy, opt for lower-calorie, nutrient-packed foods. Although often higher in calories, smoothies contain more vitamins than fizzy drinks and count towards your five-a-day but, for weight loss, you’re better off with a glass of water and piece of fresh fruit.