"Lowfat" vs "Light"

Which is Better?

When walking through the grocery store aisle you are constantly seeing food packages that say "Low Fat" or "Light".  What exactly does it mean when something is low fat?  The Food & Drug Administration does have guidelines to define what you can call "Low Fat" or "Light".  You may be surprised at what we found out.

What does "Low" mean?

This term can be used on foods that can be eaten frequently without exceeding dietary guidelines for:  fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and calories.  

Here are the definitions:

• low-fat: 3 g or less per serving
• low-saturated fat: 1 g or less per serving
• low-sodium: 140 mg or less per serving
• very low sodium: 35 mg or less per serving
• low-cholesterol: 20 mg or less and 2 g or less of saturated fat per serving
• low-calorie: 40 calories or less per serving.

What does "Light" mean?

This descriptor can mean two things:

• First, that a nutritionally altered product contains one-third fewer calories or half the fat of the regular food. If the food has 50 percent or more of its calories from fat, the reduction must be 50 percent of the fat.
• Second, that the sodium content of a low-calorie, low-fat food has been reduced by 50 percent. In addition, "light in sodium" may be used on food in which the sodium content has been reduced by at least 50 percent.

The term "light" still can be used to describe such properties as texture and color, as long as the label explains the intent--for example, "light brown sugar" and "light and fluffy."

Food manufacturers use these words on food labels to capture our attention.  Don't let them fool you.  Read the labels and know what you are getting in your foods.

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook: 5 minutes

Ready In: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp Cajun seasoning (such as Emeril's Essence®) 
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 pound peeled and deveined med. shrimp (30-40 per pound) 

Preparation

1. Mix together the Cajun seasoning, lime juice, and vegetable oil in a re-sealable plastic bag. Add the shrimp, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. 
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate. Remove the shrimp from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade.
3. Cook the shrimp on the preheated grill until they are bright pink on the outside and the meat is no longer transparent in the center, about 2 minutes per side.

Nutrition Information

8  servings

per serving: 69 calories, 9.6g protein, 2.2g carbohydrates, 2.3g total fat, 86mg cholesterol, 633mg sodium, 0.5g fiber