THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, July 27, 1995                TAG: 9507260040
SECTION: FLAVOR                   PAGE: F1   EDITION: FINAL 
COLUMN: Morsels 
SOURCE: Ruth Fantasia 
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   53 lines

ARE LOW-FAT PRODUCTS AS SLIM AS THEY SEEM?

MOST OF THE fat in Cracker Jack is at the bottom of the box.

I figured that out the other day, when I saw Cracker Jack's new Fat Free Butter Toffee Glazed Popcorn. It doesn't have any peanuts.

No peanuts, no fat. Simple.

But if you open a box of regular Butter Toffee Cracker Jack, you'll see most of the peanuts have slipped to the bottom. If you don't eat the crumbs and the peanuts at the bottom, I figure you can have low-fat Cracker Jack and still have a few peanuts.

This is not my way of cheating on a diet. But it is satisfying to outsmart the food manufacturers who seem to be trying to outsmart me.

You almost can't buy a bag of pretzels that isn't labeled low-fat anymore. That because almost all pretzels are naturally low in fat.

The same goes for Saltine crackers and Fig Newtons. By buying the low-fat versions, you save only 1 gram fat per serving. Regular Fig Newtons have only 2.5 grams fat in two cookies; that's 22.5 percent of their calories. Sunshine Saltines have only 1.5 grams fat and 60 calories in five crackers.

Kellogg's Special K touts a ``fat-free'' label. But Total contains only 1 gram fat per serving, and Just Right with Fruit and Nuts has only 2 grams. Most cereal is low in fat.

But not all products labeled low-fat or reduced-fat are healthful in their regular versions. And not all reduced-fat products are healthful.

Keebler Reduced-Fat Pecan Sandies have 3 grams fat in each cookie. That doesn't sound too bad until you consider it's 39 percent of the calories. Granted, the regular Pecan Sandies are worse (5 grams of fat and 56 percent), but the reduced-fat versions are not low-fat. The same goes for Reduced-fat Oreos, still 32 percent of calories from fat. Regular Oreos gain 39 percent of their calories from fat.

Yet, there are some up-front labels on supermarket shelves.

Betty Crocker gets brownie points for Bugles Light. Only 17 percent of calories are from fat; regular Bugles contain 51 percent of calories from fat.

Some low-fat or fat-free dairy products are good choices as well. A half-cup serving of Light & Lively Fat-Free Cottage Cheese contains no fat - and 40 fewer calories than the same amount of regular cottage cheese. The regular gets 38 percent of its calories from fat.

Make your choices wisely. Read the nutrition information on the regular as well as the reduced- and low-fat products. And never finish off a box of Cracker Jack. by CNB