Diet products... Worth it?

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Kittyy1994
Kittyy1994 Posts: 108 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
hi
I was just wondering is it worth eating diet products for less calories? Or is it better to just eat the normal products, I have heard some diet products have hidden nasties!?
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Replies

  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
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    Eat normal food instead.
  • adub119
    adub119 Posts: 27 Member
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    Real food
  • Jain
    Jain Posts: 861 Member
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    Diet foods are usually full of additives. And don't taste so good to me. I only have them if I can't cook for myself. Real, home cooked, meals are much better and you know exactly what's in them.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    It depends which "Diet foods" you are talking about.
    I like diet sodas, slim noodles/rice. I use a diet protein powder to help me hit my protein goals.

    I don't eat ready meals diet or other wise, I prefer my own cooking.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
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    They are not better, or worse. They don't contain anything that will kill you.

    They contain calories, macro and micronutrients just like anything else.

    It's how they fit in to your daily goals that matters. If you prefer to eat large volumes of food then maybe "diet" versions are a good way of creating more volume for you allotted calories.

  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    i mean, you can eat them if you want to, but eating normal and learning how to control portions is a better method for long term success.
  • a_j_paterson
    a_j_paterson Posts: 26 Member
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    I tend to avoid all products branded as 'diet'. For two reasons (i) they normally have a price premium for no real reason just because retailers know they can rip you off (ii) a lot contain all sorts of additives which you would never noramlly use in day-to-day cooking. Better off preparing your own versions of these products, and know what you are getting.
  • nitroglycerin
    nitroglycerin Posts: 3 Member
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    If you do choose diet products, be wary of sugar content. Often to reduce the calories they will reduce the amount of fat which leaves them bland and tasteless. To give the flavour back manufacturers will often use sugar and other additives. The products are usually labelled as fat free or low fat.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
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    Salads, beans, whole grains, fruit. Best diet food known to mankind.
  • smf4ever
    smf4ever Posts: 3 Member
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    Real food.. Unless you just like the taste better.. and the "diet" food fits into your plan (as far as numbers.. macros.. etc..)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I don't think there is a blanket answer. I like some "diet foods" like PB2 and diet soda. Others I think are gross. Other people may hate the products that I like.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    No
  • gramarye
    gramarye Posts: 586 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Depends entirely on your flavor and calorie preferences. For instance, I am all about diet soda and sugar-free sweeteners for my coffee, because I like the way they taste (after years of developing a taste for them as a teen, so your mileage may vary) and I don't like wasting calories in my drinks.

    However, any diet food that reduces fat to save calories is an atrocity as far as I'm concerned. Do not steal my delicious, flavor-making fat. I will make room for those calories because that flavor matters to me. However, lots of people love their "light" dairy and PB2 (as seen above), so it's clearly just down to preference.

    So, I'd say experiment with what you like and don't like. As long as you're doing your best to maintain a nutritious and varied diet, you'll be fine.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    Yes and no. Some are and some aren't. If you like them, then why wouldn't you go for less calories? But if you don't like it, why waste precious calories on food you don't enjoy.

    Judge each food on it's own merits.
  • MarziPanda95
    MarziPanda95 Posts: 1,326 Member
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    Eat what you want. Just make sure you reach your calorie goal. That's it.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
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    There are some foods I opt for the diet versions, because I don't care enough about them to waste the calories, and others I go with the regular version. One example is sandwich bread. If I eat a tuna sandwich or PBJ on toast, I don't think there is a huge difference between the light bread and regular, so I choose light. I like the light greek yogurts and diet soda. I don't notice if I use 2% shredded cheddar in a recipe, but I won't touch light feta cheese, I always go with regular on that one. There is nothing "hidden" in diet foods that will hurt you, it's all about personal preference.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    i mean, you can eat them if you want to, but eating normal and learning how to control portions is a better method for long term success.

    How so and what do you mean by "normal"? It's not as if you can't make diet foods part of a normal diet.
  • murp4069
    murp4069 Posts: 494 Member
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    I don't go out of my way to purchase any "diet" foods, but I do have particular things labeled "diet" that I like, like diet soda (TBH I haven't had any soda in weeks but I still like it), some of the Weight Watchers packaged snacks, etc. - mostly when I think of "diet" food I think of pre-packaged, processed food.

    Other than that I stick to "normal" food and make sure I control my portions. I would say if there are "diet" foods you actually enjoy, then enjoy them and include them in your meal planning and logging. But if you don't enjoy them, I don't really see the point. You might as well have real food and work on controlling portions than eat a ton of diet food that you hate. If I did that I would have given up on losing weight not long after starting.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    Kittyy1994 wrote: »
    hi
    I was just wondering is it worth eating diet products for less calories? Or is it better to just eat the normal products, I have heard some diet products have hidden nasties!?

    It really depends on what it is, if you like it, and how much of it you will be eating. I eat non fat Greek yogurt and drink skim milk because I prefer the taste. I do not eat reduced fat cheese. I prefer diet soda over the full sugared ones because they taste way too sweet for me. Lower calorie frozen dinners are OK in a pinch, but they are too high in sodium and too small of portions for me to eat them on a regular basis, I would much prefer to eat food I make myself.

    I do like a couple of the Walden Farms "0 calorie" salad dressings and the ingredients are not scary at all. Herbs, spices, vinegar, xanthan gum to thicken, etc. Yes, there is the ubiquitous "natural flavors" that doesn't tell you anything but you see that on a lot of foods, not just diet ones.

    In other words, read labels and try some things. If you like it, use it. If you don't, don't buy it again.
  • brightsideofpink
    brightsideofpink Posts: 1,018 Member
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    As others have said, its about what fits your tastes and lifestyles. I actually like some foods labeled as lite, or diet, and find others disgusting. I've experimented a lot. If I like it, it becomes part of my options. I won't ever force something down my throat just because it says Diet on it. I've also found that there are some quick options that don't label themselves as such, but are relatively low in calories. Many of the Kashi frozen meals, for example, have no more calories than a Lean Cuisine.

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