Some people may think that light and diet products are the same, but that isn’t true. A difference exists between them, and here we explain what it is. Keep reading to find out why they are not the same.

Difference between light and diet products

Light and diet are words that mean something when they appear in products, foods or beverages. They are necessary to let consumers know there is something different from the original product and its composition and ingredients. Anyway, diet or light don’t mean zero calories; it doesn’t even imply healthy (that’s why you should learn how to read nutrition fact labels, so you know if something is really healthy or not). But most people buy these options without knowing the facts when they are in a weight loss plan.

Light products

These products are labeled as it because they contain 25% less fat or sugars than the original version. That means the product has less calories. They should not be consumed in more quantity than the original version only because they are light. You should avoid excess in any aspect of your life.

A clear example of them can be mayonnaise. Light mayonnaise has about 50% fewer calories than regular mayonnaise; but is still a very high-fat product, so we can’t say it’s healthy.

By the same token, not all light products are bad for you; some are very good for weight loss. All you need is to be careful about which ingredients these products contain, and their quantities.

Diet products

These options are the ones recommended to people with diabetes and other medical conditions because some ingredients have been changed or substituted from the original recipe. Some diet products are sugar-free (ideal for people with sugar problems), others are fat-free (for high cholesterol issues), others are high-fiber (for constipation), gluten-free (for celiacs) or even low in sodium (for individuals with hypertension).

Diet doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a product recommended for people who want to lose some weight. For instance, if a chocolate bar is labeled as diet, it means its sugar content has been replaced for a sweetener, which makes it okay for people with diabetes, but it doesn’t mean calories and fat don’t exist in this product.

Something new is learned every day. Now you know the difference between light and diet products. We hope this information is useful. Keep in mind how important it is to understand how to read nutrition fact labels. Learn how to properly identify what’s good for your health. Don’t go only for what the package says. Keep yourself updated with all the information we are providing for you in our blog and social media.

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