But because they look appetizing and taste okay, these designer foods merely reinforce poor eating habits. The dieter who indulges in fake ice cream, for example, only reinforces her craving for ice cream. Then, when she’s in sight of the real thing, she overeats because she’s been fooled into thinking ice cream’s not going to put on the pounds. Wrong!

     What then is the dieter to do? Eat natural. Nature does the measuring for you. An apple is one serving of fruit. A slice of bread is one serving of grain. Simple.