Dear Sweet tooth,

If you're making a choice between two desserts, both containing 300 calories, where one has most of its calories from fat, and the other from sugar, you would be better off going for the sugary one. Your body's first choice for fuel is sugar, making it more likely that the calories from that dessert would be usable. Excess calories from the sugar also have a slightly less chance of winding up as stored fat. However, one thing to take into consideration is that rarely are two desserts equal in caloric content and ingredients used.

Your body needs some fat to work properly. Fat also helps us feel satisfied. So it will probably take many more desserts of the fat-free variety for you to feel satisfied and full than it would of a traditional rich dessert. It's not hard to go through a whole box of fat-free treats in one sitting and still feel like your sweet tooth isn't satisfied (particularly when you're thinking, "There's no fat here, so why not?"). You may even end up eating more empty calories than if you ate one or two of the regular chocolate chip variety.

If you're going to eat fat-free foods, go for those that are naturally fat-free -- such as fruits or fruit salads, or products that are made without fat at all, rather than with a fat substitute. It's fine to eat regular desserts (medium- to high-fat) once in a while or in smaller portions, especially if the rest of your diet is healthy and balanced.

Alice

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