Anyone embarking on a diet for the first time could be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed at the abundance of diet foods on sale. Supermarket shelves are groaning under the weight of products labeled 'diet', 'fat-free', ‘low-fat’, 'lite' or 'low calorie' which can lead to all sorts of confusion.



Eating out involves dodging minefields of hidden calories, while some healthy foods can do more to hinder your diet than help it.

To avoid falling into these dieters traps, here are a few of the most common pitfalls most likely to catch out the unwary dieter:

Fat-free or low fat

While fat-free and reduced fat foods should be chosen over their full fat counterparts, some products can be deceptively high in sugar. For example, yogurts or cookies often compensate for lack of fat by adding extra sugar, which means more calories. So when you're choosing a low-fat or low-calorie product, ensure they are also lower in calories than the original. And products labeled 'lower fat' or lite' aren't automatically low calorie. They only needs to contain less fat than the original version, but may not necessarily be low fat. So beware of the calorie count in these products.

Healthy but high calorie

Not all healthy foods are dieters friends. Some healthy foods should only be eaten in small amounts. Take nuts and seeds for example. While they are extremely beneficial for our well-being, they're also high in calories. A small bag of sunflower seeds contains more calories than the average candy bar and just one small handful of cashew nuts has over 180 calories.

The sweetest fruits, such as pineapples, mangoes, bananas and grapes, also contain lots of natural sugars and are therefore higher in calories too. So, although fruit is definitely recommended while you’re on a diet, choose carefully.

Label alert

Most food packaging is now labeled with useful nutritional information. Reading these labels should help us make suitable choices, however these labels can be confusing and unless you read them carefuly, they can easily be misread. For example,the indicated serving size could be for one person or two. It may even be for half a packet or a certain number of ounces. Always be on the alert for the different methods used for such information so you’re not caught out.

Portion size

Portion sizes nowadays are far too large. According to a US study, people serving themselves ice-cream with a large spoon and bowl, ended up eating 60 percent more. However, when they used a small spoon with the same bowl, they dished out 31percent less. To make it easier not to fall into the portion size trap, swap large serving plates and bowls for smaller ones, and consider eating with a smaller spoon.

Eating out and takeaways

When you're eating out or ordering a takeaway, always be on your guard. Restaurants love to negate any health benefits of a plate of vegetables by drowning them in butter. Salads can turn into a high fat and calorific nightmare with the addition of oily dressings. The same goes for rich and creamy sauces. As long as you stick to tomato based sauces, steer clear of anything fried and ask for dressings on the side, you shouldn't have too much trouble sticking to your diet.

Make your diet successful by not falling into any of the common pitfalls. Watch out for misleading labels, go easy on your portion sizes, and remember that healthy foods can be high in calories too. By making wise choices while grocery shopping, eating out and preparing food, you should find it easy to avoid the hidden pitfalls and soon be well on the way to achieving your weight loss goals.