Whether a product is low in calories, fat or sugar, it is important to remember that calories still count when making choices for a healthier diet. As the new federal obesity guidelines state, "You do need to watch your fat intake. But remember calories count too." Typically, when you choose a reduced-fat product you can count on cutting fat and calories, but sometimes this is not the case. Below are some popular products identified in generic terms to illustrate the typical case as well as the exception.

The products in the following table illustrate that less fat can often result in fewer calories.

Product Serving
Size		 Calories Fat Carbohydrates
Whole milk 1 cup 150 8g 12g
Low-fat (2%) milk 1 cup 120 5g 12g
Skim milk 1 cup 80 0g 12g
Raspberry Danish Twist 1 slice (53g) 220 12g 27g
Fat-free Raspberry Twist 1 slice (53g) 140 0g 33g
Choc. Chip Chewy Granola Bar 1 bar (28g) 120 3.5g 21g
Chewy Fruit Low-fat Granola Bar 1 bar (28g) 110 2g 22g
Fruit No-fat Granola Bar 1 bar (28g) 90 0g 23g
Potato Chips 1 oz. 159 11g 15g
Low-fat Potato Chips 1 oz. 110 2g 23g
Fat-free Potato Chips 1 oz. 70 0g 16g

Further calorie savings are possible if you choose a version sweetened with a sugar substitute, as shown in the table below.

Product Serving Size Calories Fat Carbo.
Premium Vanilla Ice Cream 1/2 cup 270 18g 21g
Light Vanilla Ice Cream 1/2 cup 100 4g 14g
Sugar-free Vanilla Ice Cream 1/2 cup 90 3g 14g
Low-fat Strawberry Yogurt 1 cup 240 3g 46g
Non-fat Strawberry Yogurt 1 cup 160 0g 31g
Light Strawberry Yogurt with Sugar Substitute 1 cup 100 0g 18g

There are always a few exceptions to the rule. The following table compares several reduced-fat foods to their full-fat counterparts. The reduced-fat versions have been significantly reduced in fat. However, because extra carbohydrate has been added to maintain good taste (you can discover this by comparing the Nutrition Facts labels, looking under “Total Carbohydrate”), the calories are roughly the same. If you’re watching your weight, remember that lower fat doesn’t always mean lower calories.

Product Serving Size Calories Fat Carbo.
Vanilla Creme Cookie 2 cookies 115 5.5g 16g
Vanilla Creme Reduced-fat Cookie 2 cookies 110 2.5 21g
Fig Bars 2 bar cookies 110 2.5g 20g
Fat-free Fig Bars 2 bar cookies 100 0g 22g
Peanut Butter 2 Tbsp. 190 16g 7g
Reduced-fat Peanut Butter 2 Tbsp. 190 12g 15g

The Bottom Line

In the late ‘80s, some obesity researchers began to advocate counting only fat grams, and ignoring calories, to lose weight. For instance, the book, “The T-Factor Diet” (published in 1989), proclaimed on the cover: “Lose Weight Safely and Quickly, Without Cutting Calories -- or Even Counting Them!”

As these tables illustrate, the bottom line is that, for people who want to control their weight, fat and calories matter.

Last Updated 11/2006
Copyright © 2007 Calorie Control Council

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