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When food labels and menu options boast LIGHT, HEALTHY, or LOW something-or-other in the food's title, it's easy to assume those are diet-friendly options. But sadly, those are often fat-filled, calorie-clogged LITTLE LIGHT LIES! Don't worry, HG's here to expose some of the top offenders!
Cold Stone Creamery Cake Batter Light Ice Cream
("Like it" serving: 290 calories, 7g fat, 240mg sodium, 51g carbs, 0g fiber, 37g sugars, 8g protein)
Just the sight of the words "cake batter" and "light" together in one product can cause diet-conscious ice cream cravers everywhere to salivate (while reaching for their wallets). Sadly, this frozen confection is NOT the best selection. A near 300 calories and 7 grams of fat is a bit steep for a gone-before-you-know-it snack. Especially when there are better choices elsewhere on the menu. A "Like it" serving of C Stone's Sinless Smoothie Sorbet has just 130 calories and is fat-free. Their Sinless Sans Fat Sweet Cream is also a better bet, with just 160 calories and no fat for the "Like it" serving.
Litehouse Lite Honey Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing
(2 tbsp.: 130 calories, 13g fat, 250mg sodium, 3g carbs, 0g fiber, 2g sugars, 0g protein)
HG Warning! Not all light salad dressings are created equal. Case in point -- Litehouse's Lite Honey Dijon Vinaigrette. That stuff is packed with fat and calories and is sure to ruin an otherwise low-fat, low-cal salad. You could top your salad with 3 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnut Holes for that calorie count and only HALF of the fat (okay, don't get any crazy ideas)! Oddly enough, Litehouse's regular (not Lite) Pomegranate Blueberry, Huckleberry, and Harvest Cranberry vinaigrettes are fat-free and have just 20 - 25 calories per two-tablespoon serving. Try those instead. For a honey dijon fix, go with Wish-Bone's Light Honey Dijon (2 tbsp. = 50 calories, 2g fat).
Arby's Market Fresh Santa Fe Salad
(1 salad without dressing: 500 calories, 23g fat, 1,231mg sodium, 41g carbs, 6g fiber, 5g sugars, 30g protein)
While we're on the subject of salads, don't let the fancy description on this fast food salad fool you. It throws around terms like "fresh" and "all-natural," but it's basically as bad as a burger. In fact, once you add in the nutritionals for the Santa Fe ranch dressing that comes served on the side, the numbers soar to 796 calories and 54 grams of fat! Yikes! That's more fat and calories than practically anything on their menu! If you've got to grab a bite at Arby's, go for their Martha's Vineyard Salad instead. That has just 276 calories and 8 grams of fat. And while none of their dressing options are really guilt-free, their Light Buttermilk Ranch is your best option (1 serving = 112 calories, 6 grams fat) -- and we recommend using just half of the more than 2-oz. serving they give you.
Häagen-Dazs Cookie Dough Light Ice Cream
(1/2 cup: 260 calories, 8g fat, 105mg sodium, 41g carbs, 0g fiber, 30g sugars, 6g protein)
So you're strolling through the supermarket looking for a decadent (but not TOO decadent) sweet treat. You spot HD's Cookie Dough Light Ice Cream and do a victory dance all the way to the checkout line! Not so fast. Spin that carton around and you'll learn that just 4 ounces of the stuff contains a hefty 260 calories and 8 grams of fat. And sadly, it'd take quite a bit of victory dancin' to burn off all those calories. But all is not lost! Just a few feet away in the freezer aisle you'll find Dreyer's/ Edy's Slow Churned Light Ice Cream in Cookie Dough (1/2 cup = 130 calories, 4.5g fat). If you're hooked on the Dazs, go for their frozen yogurts instead. A half-cup serving of each of those has 200 calories or less with just 0 - 4.5 fat grams. Not bad!
Ruby Tuesday Smart Eating Chicken Portabella
(1 order, no sides: 519 calories, 27g fat, 7g net carbs, 2g fiber)
We give Ruby T credit for trying to health up their menu. They start off right here, with a beautiful piece of grilled chicken, but then they go and ruin in by smothering it in a creamy cheese sauce, causing the fat count to skyrocket to 27 grams! And that's without accounting for the 2 sides that come with your meal. Luckily, this one's an easy fix. Order up this entrée sans sauce, and skip the sides (even their "fresh steamed broccoli" and "creamy mashed cauliflower" are fat-heavy from butter) in favor of salad bar. A plain baked potato is one of their redeeming side dish selections -- just use some salsa to spruce it up.
Buitoni Light Alfredo Sauce
(1/4 cup: 90 calories, 6g fat, 350mg sodium, 5g carbs, 0g fiber, 1g sugars, 4g protein)
While those nutritionals may not appear super-scary at first glance, consider the fact that a serving is only 4 measly tablespoons -- hardly enough to cover your noodles! And once you factor in the calories for whatever you're smothering in the stuff...it's a recipe for diet disaster. Luckily, HG has a super-easy make-at-home version of alfredo sauce that will knock your pasta-lovin' socks off! Simply melt some Laughing Cow Light Cheese with some fat-free sour cream. Toss in some reduced fat grated parm for extra cheesiness. And, voila, you've got a super-creamy, extra-cheesy, guilt-free alfredo sauce! Try it in our famous Fettuccine Hungry Girlfredo!
Smoothie King Slim-N-Trim Strawberry Smoothie
(20 oz. = 357 calories, 1g fat, 149mg sodium, 79g carbs, 3g fiber, 7g protein)
Okay Smoothie King, your royal butt is BUSTED! Slim-N-Trim, you say? While 1 gram of fat is impressive, 350 calories is not our idea of a slimmed down smoothie. And that's if you order the small one -- the 40-oz. one will set you back more than 700 calories! As far as strawberry smoothies go, you're WAY better off cruisin' over to Jamba Juice for one of their Enlightened Strawberry Nirvana Smoothies. They offer up a 16-oz. serving with just 160 calories. And for an at-home smoothie fix, whip up an HG Strawberry Cloud!
Cold Stone Creamery Cake Batter Light Ice Cream
("Like it" serving: 290 calories, 7g fat, 240mg sodium, 51g carbs, 0g fiber, 37g sugars, 8g protein)
Just the sight of the words "cake batter" and "light" together in one product can cause diet-conscious ice cream cravers everywhere to salivate (while reaching for their wallets). Sadly, this frozen confection is NOT the best selection. A near 300 calories and 7 grams of fat is a bit steep for a gone-before-you-know-it snack. Especially when there are better choices elsewhere on the menu. A "Like it" serving of C Stone's Sinless Smoothie Sorbet has just 130 calories and is fat-free. Their Sinless Sans Fat Sweet Cream is also a better bet, with just 160 calories and no fat for the "Like it" serving.
Litehouse Lite Honey Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing
(2 tbsp.: 130 calories, 13g fat, 250mg sodium, 3g carbs, 0g fiber, 2g sugars, 0g protein)
HG Warning! Not all light salad dressings are created equal. Case in point -- Litehouse's Lite Honey Dijon Vinaigrette. That stuff is packed with fat and calories and is sure to ruin an otherwise low-fat, low-cal salad. You could top your salad with 3 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnut Holes for that calorie count and only HALF of the fat (okay, don't get any crazy ideas)! Oddly enough, Litehouse's regular (not Lite) Pomegranate Blueberry, Huckleberry, and Harvest Cranberry vinaigrettes are fat-free and have just 20 - 25 calories per two-tablespoon serving. Try those instead. For a honey dijon fix, go with Wish-Bone's Light Honey Dijon (2 tbsp. = 50 calories, 2g fat).
Arby's Market Fresh Santa Fe Salad
(1 salad without dressing: 500 calories, 23g fat, 1,231mg sodium, 41g carbs, 6g fiber, 5g sugars, 30g protein)
While we're on the subject of salads, don't let the fancy description on this fast food salad fool you. It throws around terms like "fresh" and "all-natural," but it's basically as bad as a burger. In fact, once you add in the nutritionals for the Santa Fe ranch dressing that comes served on the side, the numbers soar to 796 calories and 54 grams of fat! Yikes! That's more fat and calories than practically anything on their menu! If you've got to grab a bite at Arby's, go for their Martha's Vineyard Salad instead. That has just 276 calories and 8 grams of fat. And while none of their dressing options are really guilt-free, their Light Buttermilk Ranch is your best option (1 serving = 112 calories, 6 grams fat) -- and we recommend using just half of the more than 2-oz. serving they give you.
Häagen-Dazs Cookie Dough Light Ice Cream
(1/2 cup: 260 calories, 8g fat, 105mg sodium, 41g carbs, 0g fiber, 30g sugars, 6g protein)
So you're strolling through the supermarket looking for a decadent (but not TOO decadent) sweet treat. You spot HD's Cookie Dough Light Ice Cream and do a victory dance all the way to the checkout line! Not so fast. Spin that carton around and you'll learn that just 4 ounces of the stuff contains a hefty 260 calories and 8 grams of fat. And sadly, it'd take quite a bit of victory dancin' to burn off all those calories. But all is not lost! Just a few feet away in the freezer aisle you'll find Dreyer's/ Edy's Slow Churned Light Ice Cream in Cookie Dough (1/2 cup = 130 calories, 4.5g fat). If you're hooked on the Dazs, go for their frozen yogurts instead. A half-cup serving of each of those has 200 calories or less with just 0 - 4.5 fat grams. Not bad!
Ruby Tuesday Smart Eating Chicken Portabella
(1 order, no sides: 519 calories, 27g fat, 7g net carbs, 2g fiber)
We give Ruby T credit for trying to health up their menu. They start off right here, with a beautiful piece of grilled chicken, but then they go and ruin in by smothering it in a creamy cheese sauce, causing the fat count to skyrocket to 27 grams! And that's without accounting for the 2 sides that come with your meal. Luckily, this one's an easy fix. Order up this entrée sans sauce, and skip the sides (even their "fresh steamed broccoli" and "creamy mashed cauliflower" are fat-heavy from butter) in favor of salad bar. A plain baked potato is one of their redeeming side dish selections -- just use some salsa to spruce it up.
Buitoni Light Alfredo Sauce
(1/4 cup: 90 calories, 6g fat, 350mg sodium, 5g carbs, 0g fiber, 1g sugars, 4g protein)
While those nutritionals may not appear super-scary at first glance, consider the fact that a serving is only 4 measly tablespoons -- hardly enough to cover your noodles! And once you factor in the calories for whatever you're smothering in the stuff...it's a recipe for diet disaster. Luckily, HG has a super-easy make-at-home version of alfredo sauce that will knock your pasta-lovin' socks off! Simply melt some Laughing Cow Light Cheese with some fat-free sour cream. Toss in some reduced fat grated parm for extra cheesiness. And, voila, you've got a super-creamy, extra-cheesy, guilt-free alfredo sauce! Try it in our famous Fettuccine Hungry Girlfredo!
Smoothie King Slim-N-Trim Strawberry Smoothie
(20 oz. = 357 calories, 1g fat, 149mg sodium, 79g carbs, 3g fiber, 7g protein)
Okay Smoothie King, your royal butt is BUSTED! Slim-N-Trim, you say? While 1 gram of fat is impressive, 350 calories is not our idea of a slimmed down smoothie. And that's if you order the small one -- the 40-oz. one will set you back more than 700 calories! As far as strawberry smoothies go, you're WAY better off cruisin' over to Jamba Juice for one of their Enlightened Strawberry Nirvana Smoothies. They offer up a 16-oz. serving with just 160 calories. And for an at-home smoothie fix, whip up an HG Strawberry Cloud!
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