Low Calorie options that were disappointing

Cassandraw3
Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
in Food and Nutrition
What low calorie versions on things have you tried that were an instant disappointment? Where it is worth the extra calories to have the original? For me, it is fat free ranch dressing. I instantly regret any time I choose it over full fat (which is not often).
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Replies

  • onedayatatime101
    onedayatatime101 Posts: 12 Member
    I love the Bolthouse Farm yogurt Ranch in the produce section it is yummy :-)
  • Cassandraw3
    Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
    no1racefan1 wrote: »
    SuzySunshine99 wrote: »
    Plain, air-popped popcorn. I may as well be eating salted Styrofoam.
    I still gotta have some butter on my popcorn...for me it's worth the calories.

    Agree. The texture is awful.

    Mine is--pretty much anything with artificial sweetener. Yuck!

    Artificial sweetener is the worst!
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    i like plain with parmesan and garlic

    all the low cal ice cream options, including that banana "nice" cream
  • CaffeinatedConfectionist
    CaffeinatedConfectionist Posts: 1,046 Member
    edited September 2018
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Pretty much all of them.

    This. I have tried black bean brownies, chickpea blondies, cauliflower crust pizza, faux banana ice cream, faux noodles made from squash, slimfast and other meal replacement shakes and about a million other products that I can't currently remember and they were all abominable. It took me a few years to wise up ans figure out how to make the real thing fit into my lifestyle, but I haven't looked back since (diet mixer aside - that is the one "diet" product I do still consume because if I am going to he consuming 400 calories of alcohol I'd have a very hard time fitting that plus a caloric mixer into my day).

    I do eat protein bars, some of which can also be pretty terrible, but they are not a substitute so much as a supplement. I don't eat them as meal replacements, I eat them because I otherwise have a hard time meeting my protein macronutrient without exceeding my calorie goals.
  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,510 Member
    Anything that advertises itself as lower calorie, but then I realize it's just a smaller portion. Also liquids that appear to just have more water added.
  • dbhDeb
    dbhDeb Posts: 200 Member
    Several Walden Foods items. One so bad I cannot imagine anyone anywhere eating it -- I believe it was their faux peanut butter. I had rather eat glue & cardboard. They do have other items that are tolerable. I was doing Ideal Protein though and almost everything was "good."
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,374 Member
    Pretty much anything low-fat (with the exception of a few yogurts), especially low-fat cheese (shudder).
  • RAinWA
    RAinWA Posts: 1,980 Member
    I accidentally bought low fat cottage cheese the other day. Oh yuck.
  • Cassandraw3
    Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
    I made the mistake of trying sugar free pudding once. Took 2 bites and threw the rest out. It was disgusting.
  • cannedgoo
    cannedgoo Posts: 72 Member
    100 cal “snack packs” that are basically one cookie.
    I can eat one cookie on my own without all the extra packaging :/

    With that said, I also have a strong distaste for artificial sweeteners. Yogurts, diet soda, and the like
  • Liana_Ish
    Liana_Ish Posts: 671 Member
    Cassandraw3 wrote: »
    What low calorie versions on things have you tried that were an instant disappointment? Where it is worth the extra calories to have the original? For me, it is fat free ranch dressing. I instantly regret any time I choose it over full fat (which is not often).

    Try light ranch dressing.. tastes just like the regular dressing with fewer calories 😀
  • bioklutz
    bioklutz Posts: 1,365 Member
    I guess I am not that picky. I am fine with reduced fat dairy, reduced calorie desserts. I can only think of one thing. I can't stand lean ground beef for burgers.
  • Alidecker
    Alidecker Posts: 1,262 Member
    Cheese, any low fat cheese is not worth it to me.
  • alicebhsia1
    alicebhsia1 Posts: 82 Member
    i actually prefer lowfat cheeses (NOT NON-fat) those I think are just eeewww. (any kind, cottage, cream cheese, yogurt) nonfat salad dressings, gross! anything sweetened with monkfruit, disgusting! stevia I am on the fence about. i don't like it in coffee or tea, but the chocolates made with it are pretty good.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    edited September 2018
    This one is a backwards - but i only bought low fat greek yogurt. It was fine as it was all I know. Then I bought full fat greek yogurt (with "real milk") and wow! Discovered what I had been missing. I know tend to get that instead. I get plain and dress it up as I prefer (usually a wee bit of maple sirop).
    cannedgoo wrote: »
    100 cal “snack packs” that are basically one cookie.
    I can eat one cookie on my own without all the extra packaging :/

    With that said, I also have a strong distaste for artificial sweeteners. Yogurts, diet soda, and the like

    Haha, I love the 100 calorie snack pack of cheetos. it's a staple. i CANNOT be trusted to measure out 100 calories worth froma large bag ;) (well some days i can, others not. takes more work to open two bags). I try to limit my garbage in other ways ;)
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    RAinWA wrote: »
    I accidentally bought low fat cottage cheese the other day. Oh yuck.

    If you think that's bad, try the nonfat - really yuck. I usually buy the 1% - definitely no where near as tasty as 4% (but I tend to over-eat the tastier 4%). 2% would be about perfect for me I think (but I don't ever see it).
  • jogetsgains
    jogetsgains Posts: 341 Member
    Sugar free pancake syrup. Something that is made completely of sugar just shouldn't be sugar free, I guess.
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,374 Member
    jogetsgains wrote: »
    Sugar free pancake syrup. Something that is made completely of sugar just shouldn't be sugar free, I guess.

    On that same subject, can anyone explain how they make sugar free caramel? I mean, caramel is basically sugar and water boiled together with a little cream (sometimes) for texture... so sugar free caramel???
  • RonyMack
    RonyMack Posts: 131 Member
    Low carb toilet paper.
  • RAinWA
    RAinWA Posts: 1,980 Member
    crazyravr wrote: »
    RAinWA wrote: »
    I accidentally bought low fat cottage cheese the other day. Oh yuck.

    Why? How did it differ from full fat?

    Totally different flavor and mouth-feel.
  • Cassandraw3
    Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
    ccrdragon wrote: »
    jogetsgains wrote: »
    Sugar free pancake syrup. Something that is made completely of sugar just shouldn't be sugar free, I guess.

    On that same subject, can anyone explain how they make sugar free caramel? I mean, caramel is basically sugar and water boiled together with a little cream (sometimes) for texture... so sugar free caramel???

    I was curious so I looked up a couple recipes. They both called for "sukrin" (sugar substitute). Haven't tried it but my expectations would be very low if I did.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
    RAinWA wrote: »
    crazyravr wrote: »
    RAinWA wrote: »
    I accidentally bought low fat cottage cheese the other day. Oh yuck.

    Why? How did it differ from full fat?

    Totally different flavor and mouth-feel.

    I agree - even when I was really into eating a lot of "diet" things and low-fat items, I still found low-fat cottage cheese to be disgusting. It's hard to describe the taste and mouth-feel, but it's definitely unappetizing.

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