Good Food

Low fat, low calorie, no sugar  = healthy, right? Wrong. The “better alternative” incarnations of junk foods–think sugar-free cookies and brownies, diet soda, and diet iced tea–are often worse than the real thing. These so-called “wholesome” substitutes, which lurk even in the aisles of Whole Foods (pictured here), contain some of the worst offending preservatives, additives and sweeteners.

With the help of registered dietitian Marissa Lippert, author of The Cheater’s Diet and founder of Nourish, Well + Good brings you this two-part series on the top 5 nasties to avoid. With Lippert’s guidance, you won’t be fooled by misleading labeling or an ingredients list that reads like a chemistry textbook.

Nutritionist Marissa Lippert doesn't cheat when it comes to artificial sweetners

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
Look for words like: saccharin, aspartame and sucralose.

As Lippert puts it “the name says it all, they’re artificial! ” Lots of health foods are billed as “low sugar,” “no-sugar added,” or “sugar free” but they contain truckloads of artificial sweeteners. “Consuming artificial sweeteners can cause bloating, digestive distress and increased sugar/sweet/carbohydrate cravings,” says Lippert. In fact, one packet of Splenda sweetener is 600 times sweeter than one packet of sugar (which is just 16 calories) This means a “healthy” gluten-free, sugar-free cookie could end up increasing your cravings.

SUGAR ALCOHOLS
Look for words like: malitol, sorbitol, xylitol and mannitol

Sugar alcohols are ultra processed artificial sweeteners, used because they tend to have 1/3 to 1/2 of the calories of regular cane sugar.  “They are man-made and your body doesn’t metabolize them well,” says Lippert. Consuming too much of them can cause diarrhea, weight gain and bloating. They are typically found in gum, sugar-free candies, cookies, and diet drinks.

NATURAL SWEETENERS
With natural sweeteners such as agave nectar, stevia, and maple syrup, “a teaspoon or two is all you need,” says Lippert. “Agave nectar is better than stevia in terms of blood sugar stabilization,” explains Lippert. “I am more hesitant about stevia because it goes through processing to become a powder. It’s also 600 times sweeter than sugar, which raises your sensitivity to sweet things. Your palette can get our of whack and fruit might stop tasting sweet.”

Check back next week when we reveal the unsavory chemistry behind “added fiber” and “added protein.”