When you are watching what you eat, it seems like a good idea to pick fat-free options, but in some cases, it's not the best option.
Here are 6 times you shouldn't pick the fat-free option from Women's Day and Yahoo.
1. Peanut Butter. The fat in peanut butter is healthy mono-unsaturated fat, which has been shown to decrease inflammation, raise healthy cholesterol levels, promote weight loss and possibly fight belly fat. Reduced-fat peanut butter takes away some of this healthy fat and replaces it with sugar.
2. Ice Cream. It sure sounds like a good idea -- take the fat out of ice cream and create a magical food you can eat all day, every day. But beware -- Fat helps you feel full, and without that fat, you keep eating. A half cup of full-fat vanilla is about 230 calories and a half cup of reduced-fat vanilla is about 170, which can add up fast.
3. Potato and Tortilla Chips. While there aren't a lot of health benefits to be found in full-fat chips, certain lowfat and nonfat chips could be even worse. That's because some brands contain fat-mimicking chemicals that can cause intestinal cramps, gas and diarrhea. Stick to small baked versions, which don't contain fake fats at all.
4. Milk. Milk is fortified with vitamins A and D, which are fat-soluble vitamins that are stored in your liver and necessary for the absorption of other important nutrients.Instead of nonfat or skim milk, try one percent -- it's still low in saturated fat, but it has just enough fat to up vitamin absorption.
5. Cookies. Lowfat or fat-free cookies have a lot of extra sugar or high-fructose corn syrup to make up for the missing fat. Because they're made with chemicals, they tend to turn into dust at the bottom of the box more quickly than cookies made with natural ingredients.
6. Salad Dressing. While fat-free dressings are lower in calories than fat-based dressings, they block absorption of fruits' and veggies' nutrients that protect your body's cells. Just one-fifth tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil drizzled onto a salad is enough to get the best out of veggies.