Low fat vs full fat products

leannepat42
leannepat42 Posts: 28 Member
edited November 27 in Food and Nutrition
Hi, I am hoping to get your opinions on low fat vs full fat products. I have read that low fat products often have added sugar to compensate for the removal of fat (flavor) so I am not sure whether it is worth opting for low fat products ie. Skim cappucino or just enjoy the regular cappucino. What are your thoughts please?
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Replies

  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    It depends on your diet model, if you are calorie counting/moderation then opt for the low fat ones (IMO) and when your calories allow it opt for the full fat ones (full fat is normally better tasting IMO). If you are LCHF then generally aim for the full fat options.

    The main thing is making the right choice for a calorie deficit.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    If your goal is weight loss, then you have to eat fewer calories than your body burns. This is true regardless of how you choose to get those calories. Eating fat does not make you fat; consistently eating anything in excess of your calorie burn makes you fat. However, a low-fat food may have fewer calories and fit more easily into your calorie budget.

    So you may want a low fat version of a food if it has fewer calories and/or you prefer to eat less fat. Otherwise, if you prefer to eat more fat or like the taste of the full fat version better, then you might choose to fit the full fat version into your calorie budget.
  • zilkah
    zilkah Posts: 207 Member
    Personal preference for your personal calorie goal. I usually use low fat but I'm trying to bulk so just recently switched to high fat. Sometimes I use lowfat so I can have more .

    My fridge has skim (80cal) and whole (160 cal) milk. On days I want two lattes I drink two skim ones. On days I want one fatty delicious one I drink one with whole milk . All about your goals .

    I always keep high fat in a few things , like coffee creamer , but I prefer the taste of low/no fat yogurts so those stay low .
  • maybe1pe
    maybe1pe Posts: 529 Member
    I eat whichever one I like the taste of more... I've always had skin milk for my protein shakes as that's what I enjoy. But to just drink a glass of milk I would not prefer skim.
    I hate low fat cottage cheese so I get the regular one.
    I happen to like Dannon light and fit greek yogurt which i think is lower fat. but also buy other brands of non reduced fat yogurt.

    It also slightly depends on my calorie goals. If I had to decide between having a glass of whole milk or skim milk where the skim milk fit my calories for that day better I might choose the skim, or i might not.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    edited June 2018
    Depends on the item. If I think the taste is calorie worthy then I choose the full fat option. Otherwise, I'd rather save the calories for something I will enjoy more. I have no problem meeting my fat goal so I don't mind having lower fat options for some things. And I never concern myself with sugar, just my macros and calories.

  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,989 Member
    It really is personal preference and how many calories you are willing to spend.

    For me, I prefer:

    NON-FAT: milk, yogurt
    REDUCED FAT: sour cream, salad dressings, cottage cheese
    FULL FAT: cheese, ice cream
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Ninkasi wrote: »
    I do full-fat everything. Cheese, milk, yogurt, sour cream. A little goes a long way, plus I find fat helps me feel full longer (YMMV). When I lived in Germany I bought yogurt that was 9% milkfat. I still dream about that stuff, can't find it where I live now.

    In Canada, Liberte yogurt is 9% I believe.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    Yogurt, even FF will help reduce plague buildup in the carotid arteries. Research it. Several relatives have had heart attacks and stents. Their surgeon from Italy told them to start eating yogurt every day. My mother's stents have remained clean as a whistle, last check-up. She's eats plain FF yogurt and blueberries almost daily. Fage 5%. As a side note, surgeon also told her to quit taking calcium horsepills. They showed up in the diagnostic testing, all sitting there in her stomach, undigested calcium horsepills. He told to eat real food and forget supplements that you really have no idea how much is filler and how much, if anything your body can use.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    It depends on what I’m shooting for.

    With beverages I try to shoot to close to zero calorie. So I pick artificial sweeteners and skim milk (London Fog).

    Yogurt I’ve switched to 3%.

    Full fat peanut butter because they DO add sugar to the reduced fat version.
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
    I am much more satisfied eating high fat/high protein foods. I drink 2% or whole milk . I occasionally buy nonfat yogurt, because I eat a ton of it and buy whatever Greek yogurt is on sale. If I have the calories and the time, I whip heavy cream to put on my coffee. All cheese except mozzarella is full fat.
    Full disclosure: My grandparents owned a dairy farm.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    Rocbola wrote: »
    The issue when removing fat from a lot of these products, particularly dairy, is not just the sugar increase, but the protein increase. When you remove fat, and increase dairy protein, you are putting yourself at a higher risk for various diseases, including cancer and kidney problems.

    Unless you already have a pre-existing kidney issue, there is no evidence that a slight over consumption of protein in a diet, over a prolonged period of time is either harmful or unhealthy, just merely unnecessary!

  • allisonlane161
    allisonlane161 Posts: 269 Member
    My natural diet is very low in fat so I tend to do 2% milk, 2% yogurt, etc. I still end up having to seek out fat options like adding 1 tsp oil to certain foods. I just check labels and am more interested in the sugars than the fats.
  • penneysfit
    penneysfit Posts: 97 Member
    I eat either full-fat versions, or naturally lower-fat foods. The trick is the measure everything, use grams instead of ounces for accuracy, and exercise on a regular basis. My calories are between 1300-1500 a day and I have lost 25 lbs in a little over 2 months.
  • lolly2414
    lolly2414 Posts: 186 Member
    It depends on the product for me. If I like the lower fat option and it's significantly less calories I'll go with it, but if I don't care for the taste or it's only like 20 calories less than the full fat option, I'll go with the full fat. For milk, I hate skim and prefer 2% so usually I go with 2% (sometimes 1%). For yogurt I typically go with the lower fat/calorie plain yogurts and mix it with some fruit or honey to improve the taste. For processed foods it's all based on taste (like I can eat the lower fat version of Cheez-It crackers which saves some calories and fat, but I can't stand reduced fat Oreo's so I go with the regular (well more often the Golden). I think it's really what you can work into your daily calorie limit and fat limit (if you're watching that closely too).
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