For many, jello is the wiggly, jiggly snack of their childhood and something that they do not consume on a regular basis as an adult.
However, if you are trying to lose some weight – you may want to rethink this attitude!
As a low-fat and low-calorie dessert option, you might be wondering: is Jello good for weight loss?
To answer this question and give you all the information you need about the wobbly snack, we have put together this guide as a way to help you out. We will cover:
- The nutritional information of Jello
- Whether Jello can help with weight loss
- Tips for incorporating Jello into a weight loss diet
- Potential downsides of consuming Jello.
Let’s get into it!
Table of Contents
Nutritional information of Jello
The best way to decide if Jello is good for weight loss is by simply looking at its nutritional information.
A food’s nutritional information allows us to see its calorie and fat content, which in turn helps us to decide whether it can fit into a weight loss diet to help you drop a few pounds.
The following table contains all the key nutritional information about jello and will give you a better idea of what the dessert is actually composed of.
Please note that the following information is for one 22g serving of full sugar Jello, which is about ⅛ of a whole packet:
| Nutrient | Per 22g Serving | Percent Daily Value (%DV) |
| Calories | 80 | 4% |
| Fat | 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol | 0g | 0% |
| Sodium | 90mg | 4% |
| Carbohydrates | 19g | 6% |
| Sugar | 19 | 79% |
| Protein | 2g | 0% |
| Fiber | 0g | 0% |
To help you better digest the information in the table above, here are some of the key takeaways that stand out to us when looking at the nutritional content of Jello:
Low in calories
As you can see, a half-cup serving of Jello contains just 80 calories. Considering that the recommended daily intake of calories is 2000 (slightly less if you are losing weight, Jello barely makes a dent in your daily calories!
This suggests that it is a great food for weight loss, as you can eat a fair amount of the snack without ingesting many calories and going over your daily limit.
Low in fat
The nutritional information also indicates that Jello is completely fat-free!
While some fats are good for us, people who are trying to lose weight largely avoid excessive amounts of fat as it can be quite calorically dense.
Sweet foods such as deserts often are quite high in fat, which means that people who are on a weight loss journey tend to skip dessert.
However, the nutritional info of Jello suggests that it could be a great fat-free alternative!
Low in protein and fiber
The above table indicates that Jello is low in both protein and fiber.
Studies have shown that the number one way to ensure you are sated after you eat is by consuming sufficient protein!
Protein is crucial for those losing weight; however, there is an absence of it in Jello.
Similarly, Jello is also devoid of fiber which is an important nutrient for our health.
At the same time, Jello is not a main meal or a snack, so there is not too much concern about the lack of fiber and protein as this is easily obtained elsewhere
We know that the main component of Jello is gelatin (hence the name), which some believe to be an effective weight loss tool.
Some studies have shown that gelatin may have a hunger-reduced effect on consumers, which in turn can lead to weight loss.
As the main nutritional component of Jello is gelatin, this suggests that perhaps Jello may also have some of these hunger-crushing powers – making it an ideal snack or dessert for those losing weight
Sugar
We can see from the nutritional information that Jello is quite high in sugar, containing 19 grams per serving. This equates to around 6 teaspoons, which is quite a lot of sugar for one day.
The recommended daily intake is 24 grams, which means one serving of Jello puts you very close to the recommended limit for the day and allows for only 5 more grams to be obtained from the remainder of the day’s food.
While this may work for some, other people may want to think about choosing sugar-free Jello as this does not have a high sugar content and instead uses other low-calorie ingredients to give sweetness to the snack
Lighter option than other sweet snacks/ desserts
Overall, the nutritional information of Jello tells us that it is a very light dessert – especially compared to other popular dessert foods.
For example, a serving of chocolate ice cream contains 216 calories, 11 grams of fat, and 25 grams of sugar.
This is far more calorically dense than Jello and is unlikely to be suitable for a successful weight loss diet. However, Jello also provides a sweet treat but for less than half the calories and none of the fat.
Can Jello help with weight loss?
Jello is great for weight loss for several reasons.
Firstly, studies suggest that gelatin (which is what Jello is largely made up of) can assist with a reduced appetite and therefore fat loss.
However, this cannot be completely relied upon, as the studies have only tested weight loss in patients taking pure gelatin.
Jello contains many different ingredients as well as gelatin, so these studies are not fully representative of the weight loss abilities of the desert.
Nevertheless, it is safe to assume to some extent that jello can assist with a reduced appetite due to its high gelatin content.
Additionally, Jello assists with weight loss by helping you to stay within your calorie deficit.
A calorie deficit simply means that you eat fewer calories than you burn, which in turn requires your body to start using your fat stores for energy. By using your fat stores, your body begins to lose weight!
In fact, a calorie deficit is the only way our bodies can lose weight – which means it is extremely important you stay within your calorie limit while on your weight loss journey.
Jello is low-calorie, meaning you can fill up on the dessert and eat a significant amount of it without ingesting a lot of calories.
Swapping out your normal serving of ice cream or cake for an equal amount of jello is an amazing way to significantly cut down on the amount of calories you consume.
By choosing jello as a dessert option in the evenings or as a snack during the day, you will be able to easily stay within your reduced calorie count while still being full and crushing your hunger and sweet cravings.
This will help you with your weight loss goals and ultimately allow you to start shedding those pounds!
Tips for Incorporating Jello Into a Weight Loss Diet
Chances are that Jello isn’t a food that is a current part of your diet. To help you incorporate it into your weight loss diet, here are some of our top tips:
Serving size
The recommended serving size of Jello is around 22 grams, which comes out to ⅛ of the packet or ½ a cup of fully made Jello.
Generally, it is a good idea to stick to the recommended serving size, as it contains just 80 calories and is therefore a very light dessert option.
However, the low-calorie nature of Jello means that you can eat more than the recommended amount every once and a while!
Even doubling the serving to a full cup (that’s a lot of Jello) would only equal 160 calories, which is very low compared to the recommended daily intake.
Therefore, keep in mind that you can adjust the serving size of your Jello with little consequence
Best time to eat Jello
Jello is a sweet food and is traditionally eaten as a dessert. This means it makes the perfect after-dinner snack to satisfy those sweet cravings that always seem to hit us late at night!
However, Jello can also be eaten as a delicious sweet snack throughout the day as well.
Consider having Jello as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack instead of your usual nuts or chips. You will find it to be an incredibly satisfying snack that hits all the right spots!
It is kept easily in a container, so it is perfect to pop into your work or school lunch box and take on the go with you.
Keep in mind that as Jello is missing key nutrients and macros such as protein, it should not be eaten as a full meal.
Make it more filling
The density and texture of Jello can already make it quite filling; however, there is nothing wrong with doctoring it up to make it even more satisfying!
One of the best ways to make Jello more filling is to mix or eat it with some low-fat Greek yogurt.
Greek yogurt is low in calories but high in protein, making for a filling snack on its own.
Mixed with Jello, it becomes a creamy and sweet treat that almost tastes like ice cream!
You could also consider adding fruit or berries to the Jello liquid before you place it in the fridge to set. This increases the nutritional content of the snack and makes it much more satiating
Try the sugar-free option
While Jello is a lighter dessert option, it is still very high in sugar and can reach up to 79% of your recommended daily intake.
This can be problematic from both a health and a weight loss perspective, especially if you already eat high in sugar foods throughout the day anyway!
As an alternative, you can give the sugar-free Jello option a go. This is sweetened with other low-calorie sweeteners, meaning you still get the same great taste of Jello but without the sugar.
However, some people like to stay away from alternative sweeteners due to concerns about their effects on health.
Potential Downsides of Consuming Jello
Unfortunately, Jello is not a perfect miracle weight-loss food, and there are some potential downsides to consuming it.
As discussed earlier, one of the biggest downsides is the sugar content. Jello is low in calories but very high in sugar, which can be problematic.
A high sugar intake can lead to weight gain due to how it is processed by the body as well as damage to your metabolic system and your teeth.
While Jello doesn’t exceed the daily recommended sugar intake, it brings you very close to reaching it despite merely being a snack!
If you’re someone who likes to eat other sugary foods during the day, then this could be a potential downside of consuming Jello.
Additionally, another potential downside of consuming Jello relates to the concerns around the artificial flavors and sweeteners used within the product.
Artificial flavors and sweeteners are a controversial topic in the food world, with many people and companies aiming to avoid them.
More specifically, there has been recent concern raised by a study suggesting that the popular Red 40 food dye may be carcinogenic.
However, there is no hard, concrete evidence that artificial sweeteners and flavors are detrimental to our health, which may be good news for the Jello lovers among us. Everything in moderation!