The New Year is a popular time for people to make some changes to their lifestyle and diet in order to be healthier.
If you want to start 2023 by shedding a few pounds, chances are you'll need to make some changes to your weekly shop. But although you might be lured in by 'fat free' labels on certain foods, such as yoghurts, they might not mean it's a healthier option.
That's according to dietician Abbey Sharp, who posts helpful diet content on TikTok under the username @abbeyskitchen. She boasts an impressive 631.4k thousand followers on the social media site, with one of her latest videos explaining why 'fat free' doesn't always mean better for you.
In the video, Abbey picks up a seemingly healthy tub of yoghurt with 'fat free' plastered on the front of it.
She explains that as a dietician, she would never choose to include it in her weekly shop, delving into several reasons why this is.
To begin with, Abbey explained: "Full fat may actually be better for your health. We have tons of research to suggest that higher fat fermented dairy may be associated with lower risk of heart disease, diabetes and insulin resistance."
She said that this was because the added fats are likely to "buffer" the effects of some of the naturally occurring sugars.
Abbey also suggested that the higher fat content improves satiety and keeps you fuller for longer, saying: "We know fats are more satiating than refined carbs. So we have a higher percentage of fats, we're going to feel satiated for longer."
The final reason that the dietician gave for always buying the high-fat version of yoghurt was simply because it tasted better.
She explained: "You know what I always say. Healthy food is only healthy if you actually eat it. And I find fat free yoghurt so astringent and thin and bland.
"As a result I end up having to add more sugar in order to make it palatable.
"Bottom line, there are lots of reasons for food choices like nutrition, affordability, accessibility, taste etc. But for me, choosing the lowest calorie option is never it."
People took to the comments to praise Abbey for her refreshing take on diet culture, with many saying they'd also ditched the fat-free yogurts from their lists.
One person said: "I always buy full fat yoghurt, with some sugar. So much more satiety so I eat slightly smaller serves."
Another commented: "Perfect example that low-calorie foods are not always the healthy option."
And a third wrote: "I like low-fat yogurts better than nonfat. I usually get the whole milk stuff for my kids cause they need the extra fats and calories."
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