Fat Free or Full Fat

flrancho

Just curious what everyone does when it comes to dairy products and trying to loose weight. Do you get full fat cheese, or buy fat free or reduced fat? Why?

I've heard conflicting information on which one is actually better for you.

Sued0nim

Full fat cheddar and I grate it and keep it in Tupperware ...extra mature and a little goes a long way

0% Greek yogurt cos higher protein

1% milk cos it's my favourite

earlnabby

I eat full fat cheese, half and half in my coffee, and I use butter. I like fat free Greek yogurt (I buy plain and add protein powder and fruit) and I prefer skim milk. To me, it tastes better

flabassmcgee

Full fat dairy for satiety.

AJ_G

Full fat cheese for sure, I only drink fat free milk purely because I grew up drinking it and now anything higher tastes like I'm drinking cream and it's just not refreshing. As far as healthy, it really doesn't matter either way as long as you're hitting your dietary fat goal by the end of the day. Just eat what you enjoy taste wise

cosmo_momo

My main dairy source is cheese, and I eat full fat cheese. I also use regular butter (for recipes), but I'm not opposed to margarine if it's on toast or something/if it's what's laying around. Basically I'm not particular with butter. I don't like milk or yogurt, but I can tolerate greek yogurt sometimes and everything I've had is fat free. Cream cheese and sour cream MUST be full fat for me to enjoy it. Anything else doesn't seem to have much flavor to me.

maxit

When I eat cheese, it's full fat because I like the taste. I eat 16-24 oz of plain greek yogurt a day - 8 of those are full fat because it helps me meet my fat macros, and I drink a glass or two of 2% milk daily - I like it better than skim and as long as I am within my calorie allotment no reason not to.

TavistockToad

flrancho wrote: »

Just curious what everyone does when it comes to dairy products and trying to loose weight. Do you get full fat cheese, or buy fat free or reduced fat? Why?

I've heard conflicting information on which one is actually better for you.

Depends what it is... I have reduced fat cheddar cheese, but occasionally get proper Brie for a treat. Milk is semi skimmed. Normal yoghurt sometimes and fat free Greek yoghurt for breakfast.

I go for which fits my calories/macros on the day.

galgenstrick

Butter ~ 7 calories per gram
Oil ~ 9 calories per gram

Butter tastes way better than oil on most things. It's pure win.

To answer your question though. I keep both fat free and full fat greek yogurt and cottage cheese available. I eat both but choose the one I can fit into my plan for the day....

mpeters1965

Looks like I am with many of the others in that it depends and if it fits in the daily totals, I'm ok with it. Fat free milk because it's what I am used to. Cheese can be lowfat to full fat depending on the cheese. I don't mind 2% cheddar or part-skim ricotta but prefer others to be full fat. I have some leftover brie from a party that I am doling out to myself every day and enjoying immensely! I just don't like yogurt unless you add tons of sugar so I skip it instead.

Thelinna

Full fat cheese. I buy nonfat plain greek yogurt for smoothies on occasion, but that's full of protein and doesn't have any gross additives like the low/non fat flavored yogurts. Generally, in my experience, I feel more full after eating a full fat product compared to a low fat version of the same product.

Susieq_1994

I use the entire range, depending on whether I have the calories for it.

Milk - I use skimmed milk because I dislike the "creamy" taste of low-fat or full-fat. I feel like it interferes with the milk taste! But when I'm making a shake/smoothie/iced coffee of some sort, I'll use a little dollop of heavy whipping cream with the skimmed milk to make it more creamy.

Butter - I only use real butter in baked goods, because there's no point splurging if it doesn't taste like the real thing! I use light margarine in very few situations, and use a touch of oil spray when I just want to keep things from sticking.

Cheese - Full fat, extra mature cheddar in anything that I think *needs* cheese. Low-fat Hajdu kashkawane cheese on homemade pizza, because I like the taste of the low fat one. And 98% fat free sliced "kraft-style" cheese when I just want salty meltiness that doesn't really taste like cheese.

Yogurt - I use skimmed, but I do like low-fat. Full-fat is a little too creamy for my liking.

kindrabbit

When I first started I ate mostly low calorie because it was all about quantity but as time has gone on and I have learned what fits and what doesn't I am finding that I choose quality over quantity. That may be taste or it may be macros, it depends on the day. I choose almond milk because it's much lower in calories than cows milk and tastes great in my porridge. I choose 0 fat Greek yoghurt because I flavour it anyway -if I have it plain I choose full fat.

TimothyFish

The only thing I eat that is fat free is candy, and it is naturally fat free.

Unknown

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jumblejups

Full fat everything, which in practice for me means full fat milk in tea or coffee daily, full fat cheese a couple of times a month, regular butter a couple of times a week. I've never been much of a fan of yoghurt, although on the rare occasions I have it I get full fat. I have the cheese so little just because I only occasionally want cheese.

And ice cream. No skinny ice cream for me.

However on cereal I have almond milk as I prefer the taste that way, but I use Rude Health which is 58cal/100ml so its not too far off full fat milk (which is 64 or 68cal/100ml IIRC).

betuel75

Fat free dairy everything. Sure i like the taste of full fat but its a numbers game and i want to eat more food for my calorie allowance.

minties82

Full fat everything. Low fat is a very old fashioned idea.

Lounmoun

flrancho wrote: »

Just curious what everyone does when it comes to dairy products and trying to loose weight. Do you get full fat cheese, or buy fat free or reduced fat? Why?

I've heard conflicting information on which one is actually better for you.

Full fat. Because it is more satisfying and tasty.
I don't consume large quantities of dairy every day though.

jnv7594

Usually full fat. Although I do drink 2 percent milk just because I don't like whole milk. I never eat fat free. It's not the fat that makes you fat. And as others have said, fat is satiating.

Francl27

Depends what. I did low fat cheddar for a while but nope, went back to the full fat stuff, but mostly because I don't use it that much... low fat was honestly fine in tacos or salads. Some of the 'low fat' cheese really only saves 10 or 20 calories per ounce though so it's not worth the sacrifice. Mozzarella I'm going to use on pizza or in recipes though, I go for part skim... but full fat if I'm having a mozzarella/tomato sandwich or salad.

Milk I don't drink by itself and only use in recipes once in a while so I usually use 1% as it's what I buy for the kids anyway.

Greek yogurt, I honestly haven't noticed any difference between 0% and 2%, whether it's taste or how much it fills me up, so I buy 0%.

Ricotta, I buy part skim, the fat free stuff was just not satisfying at all.

Ice cream, yeah the full fat stuff is much better, although I don't mind fat free frozen yogurt or slow churned ice cream once in a while (but only Edy's) when I want some but don't have 200 calories to spend on it.

Just got to try it out and see what is worth the calories for you and what isn't.

rileysowner

flrancho wrote: »

Just curious what everyone does when it comes to dairy products and trying to loose weight. Do you get full fat cheese, or buy fat free or reduced fat? Why?

I've heard conflicting information on which one is actually better for you.

Whatever one I can fit in my calories.

MikaMojito

I go for low-fat in yogurt, milk and quark. I can eat more and they're good for my protein levels. There's one German cheese that is naturally very low-fat and I love it. Other than that I've made cheese a special treat and only have some once a week or so and then I go for full fat, no matter if it's cheddar or gorgonzola or whatever.

Toadstool_

Low fat. I use skimmed milk because I don't like the taste of semi or whole, low fat yoghurt and lighter than lighter Mayo because I can't taste the difference between that and the full fat kind. I don't often use other dairy, but if I do its lighter mature cheddar or lighter halloumi (again, can't tell the difference so I go for less calories) but for feta I go full fat because there's a big price difference.

arditarose

I tend to go 0% on greek yogurt and 1% on cottage cheese, because I love to eat high volume and I wanted to cut calories. I do find that my fat is low so I may reconsider this.

runmama411

I don't like cow's milk, so I drink light unsweetened almond milk. I do eat full fat cheddar, but part skim mozzarella, and vegan American. I eat Silk soy yogurt. Go figure! Just eat what u like.

ladymiseryali

Since I eat low carb, I go for the full fat dairy products. They taste so much better IMO.

hgycta

It's all personal preference and whatever you find most enjoyable and keeps you full!

For me, personally, my rule of thumb is this:
Yogurt: Fat free - Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt (80 calories per container)
Cheese: Low fat (Shredded I opt for added calcium, blocks or slices I opt for low sodium)
Milk: Either 2% or whole, but if nonfat is the only option I'll take that, too. Really not too picky here since I used to drink nothing but almond milk just about (recently switched to soy milk since it has better ratios in regards to protein and some fat)
Ice Cream: Low fat or frozen yogurt

The reasoning behind this is I find fat free yogurt with a lot of protein super filling and easy to fit into my calories. I top my salads often with cheese, and since I don't use salad dressing I prefer to use cheese with a little bit of fat and other higher fat toppings (such as hummus or hemp hearts) so my body absorbs the fat-soluble vitamins in the vegetables. For the milk, I'm not really picky, it's mainly about the calories, what's available in my house at the time, and whether I'm steaming it for a latte or just adding it to a protein shake. The ice cream I look for the lowest calorie thing possible because I'm not eating the ice cream for nutrition, I'm eating it because I want something sweet and I want as much of this sweet goodness as possible because I'm ravenous with it.

ExRelaySprinter

I love Cheese, but it has to be full fat.
Low Fat Cheese always tastes strange to me!

jemhh

I avoid fat free most of the time. I drink 2% or whole milk. I eat 4% large curd cottage cheese. With yogurt, I prefer Noosa, which is full fat. If I can't get Noosa (it's not sold in my town) I get 2% Fage or another reduced fat variety. But not fat free.

I don't really eat regular cheese too often but if I do, it is full fat.

tekkiechikk

Gave up milk in favor of unsweetened almond or cashew milk, but I do like fat free half and half for my coffee. Gave up the full fat version and find this just as good.