Sugar free, fat free etc

[Bellygirl]

When looking for a particular food say for instance a yoghurt if there was a 'normal' one and a fat or sugar free version of it would you choose the 'free' version of the food? I never pick these options as I always feel there's something more unnatural/ chemical-ish about them? Or are they actually a healthier choice??

I'm with you, if it's fat free then the sugar or salt has been upped. If sugar free then there's usually added artificial sweeteners and on it goes. Smaller quantities of the "normal" foods are better in my opinion.

I never ever ever touch sugar free or fat free. And I can tell if someone serves it to me. Many of the products have aspartame which I both hate the taste and the idea of.

Greek yogurt (the Fage 0%) variety is actually pretty decent as it's naturally low in sugar and full of protein. it's when you go for the flavored ones that you get all the added nasties like aspartame in there.

I'm with you - never ever buy reduced sugar products as it almost always means the sugar will have been replaced with something horrid. (DD's nursery proudly told me they only serve sugar free jelly. So she's pumped up on aspartame instead. Great.) And the same applies for reduced fat, except it will probably have sugar added as well god knows what else. The exceptions are s/s milk just because f/f in tea is gross, and I sometimes buy reduced fat creme fraiche if it's for cooking with.

Otherwise, like a PP, I'm a believer that slightly less of the original version will be nicer and more satisfying. And healthier/a bit more natural because crap hasn't been added to replace whatever has been 'reduced'.

I think it's interesting that since the explosion of these 'healthier' products (at least that's how they're marketed - it's bollocks, IMHO) in the last 30-40 years or so, we've got fatter, diabetes is on the up, etc. I know there are many things that have contributed to that, but i do believe it's a factor. We're so removed from food and what goes into it, and have such warped views about what's healthy based on bad science, it's no wonder we're such an unhealthy nation. Don't get me started on government advice on this - advice which recommends I give my two-year old aspartame (sugar-free juice, jelly, etc all recommended as 'healthy swaps') but avoid full-fat dairy, houmous, etc.