In today's fast-food culture, it is often easy to make poor nutritional choices, even when you have the best of intentions. Many food manufacturers now offer ready-made foods that pose as 'diet' or 'light,' but are these really the healthier options? You may be surprised to learn that, in many cases, these faux-foods are actually more fattening than their regular counterparts.

The biggest factor? Fat. Sure, popular culture would have you believing that fat is a terrible substance to be avoided at all costs, when the reality is that all humans need some fat in their diet to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Removing fat from foods that normally contain it can sometimes have the opposite effect of what you are looking for. So, where should you cut back and where should you splurge?

Peanut Butter
The difference between regular and light peanut butter is usually only about 10 calories per serving, while the processed sugar content of the light is significantly higher. In the long run, added sugars are more likely to cause weight gain, as your body converts excess carbohydrates into fat.

Olive Oil
Yet again, the caloric difference in light and extra virgin olive oil is negligible. While the light may provide you with a smug feeling of superiority, it lacks the phenolic compounds found in virgin olive oil, which have been shown to reduce disease-causing inflammation.

Eggs
You may have heard that egg yolks contain artery-clogging cholesterol and fat, but eating whole eggs as opposed to just the egg whites is proven to keep you feeling full and satisfied longer. That gooey centre of the egg actually accounts for half of its total protein content, as well as iron, zinc and vitamins A and D. Worried about your heart? A 2007 study in the Medical Science Monitor concluded that healthy adults can eat up to two whole eggs a day without increasing their heart disease risk. What links eggs with heart disease is more likely the bacon and butter usually consumed with them. The fact remains that cutting out fat completely will only leave your stomach growling and craving that afternoon bag of Doritos, which offers none of the wholesome benefits that eggs do.

Ice Cream
Once more, the average light option of ice cream offers only a slight reduction in calories, which fails to make up for the extra grams of sugar it contains. What's more, you are psychologically more likely to give yourself permission to increase your portions when you buy the light version, in celebration of your "smart" choice.

The bottom line is that fat adds flavour, which normal human beings crave. When this fat is removed from food products, the flavour tends to follow. The result? Added sugars, chemicals and less overall nutritional value. In other words, many of the foods that you think should leave you with a clear conscience are in fact nothing but empty calories. After all, you can't get something for nothing, and you can't get flavour for free.