Diet and Light Foods: What’s the Difference?

Since the beginning of the marketing of diet foods, most consumers have associated these products as being low in calories and, consequently, permitted for people who need or want to lose extra pounds. Then, the lights came and confusion ensued.

Can diabetics, hypertensive people, people with high cholesterol levels or people who are overweight consume the same diet or light food? Bread and light or diet soda, light salt, light margarine, diet chocolate. Diet and light have become “surnames” for several foods, but what differentiates them?

Diet food

According to the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), the term diet can be used in two types of food:

1. In foods for diets with nutrient restrictions (carbohydrates, fats, proteins, sodium);

2. In foods for diets with controlled food intake (for weight or sugar control).

But, what does controlled intake or nutrient restriction mean?

Foods for controlled diets cannot have added nutrients. Therefore, for controlled sugar intake, there cannot be the inclusion of nutrients that contain the food's natural sugar, such as diet jelly, which has fructose as its natural sugar.

It is important to be clear that not all diet foods have a significant reduction in the amount of calories and, therefore, should be avoided by people who want to lose weight.

Light food

The definition of light food must be used in products that present a minimum reduction of 25% in a given nutrient or calories compared to conventional food.

Therefore, the first difference between diet and light food is the allowed amount of nutrient. While the diet needs to be free, the light food must present a minimum decrease of 25% of nutrients or calories in relation to conventional food.

The second difference is a consequence of the first: light food is not necessarily recommended for people who have some type of disease such as diabetes, high cholesterol, celiac disease or phenylketonurics.

Confusion is easy to happen; therefore, read labels very carefully. Compare light and diet products with conventional foods. It is very important to check whether they meet your needs.

Adapted from the text by Roberta Stella, nutritionist graduated from the University of São Paulo (USP)

Text taken from the website  http://cyberdiet.terra.com.br/alimentos-diet-e-light-qual-a-diferenca-2-1-1-33.html