How much does packaging lie/tell truth?

Okay this is just a random musing, but today my mum made some aioli or something and we were having dinner and started talking about fat/calories in home made mayonnaise and then she went "oh but this was kraft/hellmans light mayo, so there are fewer calories" and then my older sister pipes up that store-bought 'light' mayo has exactly the same amount of calories as regular. ?

Surely they can't lie? Or do they? How do we know for sure?? It says "45 calories per tablespoon"...but is it?

And Starbucks. I went on the website and checked my drink i'd had that day (a light blend grande mocha frappuchino) and it said it was about 155 calories...but the regular is like 300 or something! But it tastes pretty much the same..!

Arggh! What to believe??

Lol,,

I think questioning the nutrition labels of everything I eat would be the road to madness. At some point, we have to trust that we understand what we're eating. If I'm eating at a restaurant, I assume the dish may be high in fat/calories and plan accordingly. As for supermarket foods, I have to trust that the labels are correct, otherwise I wouldn't eat anything.

I agree--worrying about every calorie in a packaged food checked over by the government would drive you up the wall.

Foods that are packaged are pretty accurate. They are all checked over and wouldn't let any big miscalculations slide. The inaccuracies are minimal calories that will not effect your weight.

Right ;)

so if it says 'light' then it is 'light' or lighter, ?

:D

Starbucks light frapps are made with a light base, that is sweetened with artificial sweetners. Some people can't really taste a difference...

But they are definatly different calorie amounts :P

I think the Food association has gotten alot more strict in recent years because of people becoming more concerned with there weight. You can see it in the portions given out at restaurants, alot smaller then they use to be.

I trust it pretty much, but never take what the box says at the exact number. I usually add about 15 calories to everything because not every box or bag is the same.

The label isnt the true story though its the ingredients. Listed in order of how much is used. If you cant pronounce it, I wouldnt eat it.

Depending on what country you're in there are definitions for what can be described as 'light' or 'low fat' or 'lean' etc.  In the US these are some of the most common definitions

Fat Free Less than 0.5g of fat per serving

XX% Fat Free Must also meet the low fat claim (below)

Low Fat 3g or less per serving; or 3g per 100g for a meal or main dish, and 30% of total calories or less

Reduced Fat 25% less fat than food it is being compared to

Low Saturated Fat 1g or less and 15% or less of calories from saturated fat

Trans Fat Free Less than 0.5g of trans fats per serving

Light/Lite 50% less fat or one-third fewer calories than the regular product

Lean Less than 10g of fat, 4.5g of saturated fat and 95mg of cholesterol per 100g of meat, poultry or seafood

Extra Lean Less than 5g of fat, 2g of saturated fat and 95mg of cholesterol per serving and per 100g of meat, poultry or seafood

Low Cholesterol 20mg or less per serving and 2g or less saturated fat per serving

Cholesterol Free Less than 2mg per serving and 2g or less saturated fat per serving

Less Cholesterol 25% or less than the food it is being compared to, and 2g or less saturated fat per serving

What you'll find is that most natural, genuinely healthy foods cannot carry these claims.  You can't have a 'light/lite' banana that contains one-third fewer calories than a regular banana, for exampe.  So, in general, try to eat foods that can't make health claims.... those are usually the healthiest!

It's a good rule of thumb not to sweat the small stuff like "what if this mayo really has 40 calories instead of 35".  This reminds me of a conversation my wife told me about at a weight watchers meeting where there was some debate as to how many calories/points to consider a salad with no dressing to contain.  The "instructor" broke up the debate and inserted the flat out truth:  Nobody ever got fat from eating too much salad, and if your problem was eating too much salad, you wouldn't be here today. 

So don't sweat 10 or 15 calories and get all paranoid, that is not what stands between you and your goals, it is the other bigger things you need to think about that represent the large caloric things.  Next time you find yourself sitting at the drive thru at McDonalds, remind yourself you were debating how many calories really were in your light mayo at home and do the right thing- Get out of the drive thru line and drive home and eat something healthy!