So I was talking with my dietitian during my appointment last month and I was telling her about finding “Reduced Fat” Skippy Crunchy Peanut Butter. I thought I had found something really good. Maggie did as well, since in her diet, she tries to minimize both carbs and fats. But we were both wrong…a closer look at the label proved it to be a bit of a sham. Check out these nutritional information labels:

Notice anything funny? They have the same calorie count per serving (that’s the only number I really care about), but note that the reduced fat version does have 5 grams less fat, but 7 grams more carbs. Maggie was not amused.

My dietitian told me to stick to the regular peanut butter, mostly because she likes the fat in peanut butter. She calls it “good fat”.

Still, it was a lesson learned for Maggie and I. There are a lot of companies out there jumping on the health food craze caused by South Beach and Atkins, but not really producing a product that’s any better for you. But, luckily not all.

My two favorite brands in that regard right now are Jello and Frito Lay. Jello for making Sugar Free Jello Pudding Snacks with only 60 calories. And Frito Lay for introducing baked Cheetos (still can’t find them in the big bags though, just in the “grab bag” bags at my local news stand).