I know some of us are very excited to see Nestle’s Mickey Mouse bars in the stores (for a limited time). But they are not the ones you get in the park. No matter what some bloggers (like Chip and Co. – one of my favorites) are saying, they just don’t taste the same – unless you are one of those who thinks margarine tastes like butter. Sure, they do have a purpose (read on), and they are very cute. But something is lost in the process of taking a wonderful food item and making it low in fat. It becomes fake food.

When low-fat actually means more sugar

All calories come from three sources – fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Fat is nine calories per gram, and protein and carbs are 4 calories per gram.  In the original bar found at Disney, fat made up 60 percent of the calories, while carbohydrates made up 38 percent. The grocery store ratio is very different, with fat making up only 48 percent, but carbohydrates making up 45 percent. We say “less fat” as though it is always a good thing, and it’s not. The net result of having a higher percentage of sugars (carbohydrates) is that it causes a greater spike in our glucose levels. These spikes lead to another list of problems, including fatigue, weight gain and other despicable health problems.

Remember, we didn’t understand this until sometime in the late 1970s.  I remember my grandmother and her ice milk (she drank Fresca soda, too), and how proud that she was of our low-fat “reduction diet.” When she later turned back to fresh foods and butter and things with fat and without preservatives was when her health truly improved.

The bottom line is that most of us are better off simply enjoying a full-fat Haagen-Daz bar. Buy the Mickey shaped bars in the grocery for birthdays or for the kids.

Related: Are Free Food Deals at WDW Worth It?