What do you think about low fat?

savithny

kimny72 wrote: »

savithny wrote: »

Yep - foods made from naturally skimmed milk are okay by me, but sometimes I opt for the full-fat stuff anyway.

I just confirmed that the FDA definition of "Fat" includes only "Tri-glycerides," and excludes mono- and di-glycerides. Except mono and di glycerides contain as many calories as triglycerides. So fake fats taht include those really aren't low-calorie or low-fat.

I could be wrong, but my understanding is that mono- and diglycerides are not listed on food labels because they are used in such small quantities that they wouldn't normally make it on the label anyway.

Just reviewed: its the same trick they use for other "lowfat" foods. If the amount per serving is below 1 gram they don't need to report it, and that's *per* fat type. So they define a "serving" of fat-free margarine as a teaspoon and don't report the mono and diglycideres. This enables them to sell something that is mostly fat by volume as "nonfat" and vastly underreport calories.

smotheredincheese

I bought a block of low fat cheese the other day that actually had a higher protein content than the full fat version. If fat keeps you full, and protein keeps you full, which block of cheese would win in a fight?

amusedmonkey

I only go low fat when it does not compromise taste too much. Low fat yogurt is a big no for me, I can go as low as 1.5% with milk, hard cheese has to be full fat, cream cheese can be slightly lower in fat but not "no fat". Sour cream and regular cream need to have at least 25% fat or I won't touch them. Mayo can be up to 30% lower in fat but not more. Some things like sweetened yogurt cups are alright skimmed, and those instant Jell-o pudding pouches have no sugar and no fat but I find the taste surprisingly acceptable and quite a treat for the calories. I rarely eat meat, but when I do it has to be 20% fat. That 99% lean stuff has no flavor. Chicken, on the other hand, I will only ever eat boneless skinless breast, higher fat piece and stuff with skin (even if removed later) won't ever touch my plate, so I guess I'm lucky calorie-wise in that regard.

My choice really depends if the calorie tradeoff is worth it taste-wise. I will never eat something I don't like or have something that is totally inferior to save 50 calories. Fat does not fill me up me personally, so my only deciding factor is taste.

GottaBurnEmAll

CattOfTheGarage wrote: »

GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »

Mycophilia wrote: »

I generally avoid low-fat options mostly because they taste worse. And some products don't even have less calories/100g since they replace a lot of the missing fat with carbs.

In baked goods, you might have a case to make, but since the OP is talking about dairy products, lowfat dairy does not replace fat with carbs.

It does sometimes. Low fat yoghurt is often sugary, sometimes even the low fat bio yogurts have sugar added. So it's worth watching out for.

I personally go for full fat dairy because I love it, and avoid a lot of commercial "low fat" options because of the above carb-swapping trick. However, I will use low fat tricks in my own cooking as it can be a really easy way to cut calories in a dish.

I don't know about the plain yogurts where you live, but where I live, plain yogurt does not have sugar added to it. Plain Greek yogurt has the same amount of sugar in both the full fat and low fat version.

Now flavored yogurt? I'm not familiar with it. I don't eat it.

LiminalAscendance

Lizarking wrote: »

Dachs6 wrote: »

Low-fat "might" be good if it is cutting out saturated fats. Remember some fats are good, in some cases extraordinarily good. ....

...For example, saturated fats are good in the right quantity. This isn't 1980. We know better now.



OP: Go full fat. Cut the extra calories out of sugar elsewhere.

Are you trying to imply that there's a health risk associated with not getting enough saturated fats in your diet (which would require you to seek out full/higher fat alternatives)? I get more than enough saturated fats, quite incidentally, in my diet already.

Perhaps you should elaborate on what "we know better now," when you fly in the face of established medical advice.

The only time "low fat/non-fat" impacts my food choices is when I consume milk/yogurt. It may taste "fake," compared to the higher/full-fat versions, but the heart attack I'm trying to avert certainly won't be.

(Oh, and I just noticed that I have a higher post count than you, so I must be right!)

extra_medium

Whatever fits into the day calorie/macro-wise. If I have my choice I'd rather they add extra fat if possible.

SusanMFindlay

Too much animal fat makes me feel ooky. I figured this out when I was in high school. So, the only milk I drink is skim, and I generally opt for dairy products made from skim milk. I also cut the fat off my meat.

I appreciate the necessity of getting enough fat in my diet, but I have to work really hard to incorporate enough fat into my diet without giving myself really bad digestive issues.

Suffice it to say, I don't advise others on how much fat to incorporate (or not) into their diet because most people don't have to deal with this problem. And I will never be able to go LCHF.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

for me and my health issues I have to eat low fat.so yeah for me its something I have to do and its not that bad really.