Should I be eating low fat and fat free?

Rannoch3908

When getting things like cottage cheese, yogurt, peanut butter, frozen meals, dressing for salads, cheese, etc should I be getting FAT FREE or LOW FAT or just go full flavor?

I know normally when those are fat free or low fat that means more alternative sweeteners and chemicals.

I am eating at a calorie deficit and counting calories but was curious for my shopping trips.
Have been eating around 4000 calories a day - going down to 2000 which MFP suggested.

SuzySunshine99

The calories are all that matter. If you have the calories available, and prefer the taste of full fat, then get that. If you want to save some calories, get the low fat. Don't get fat free though, it usually tastes terrible. Exception for me is fat free Greek yogurt, which I prefer.

Low fat and fat free dairy products do not have more sweetness or chemicals...they just use skimmed milk (fat removed).

durhammfp

There is nothing magic about something being fat-free.

Losing/gaining/maintaining weight is all about achieving the proper balance between calories consumed vs calories expended. Whether those calories are from fat, carbs, or protein, does not matter so much for weight maintenance.

That said, some people, when trying to lose weight, find their appetite is satiated better with fat or proteins or carbs. You have to figure out the mix that works best for you, IMO.

durhammfp

Rannoch3908 wrote: »

...

I know normally when those are fat free or low fat that means more alternative sweeteners and chemicals.

I am eating at a calorie deficit and counting calories but was curious for my shopping trips.
Have been eating around 4000 calories a day - going down to 2000 which MFP suggested.

Also sometimes "low fat" means tons of just pure refined sugar has been added as well so "low fat" does not necessarily indicate "low calorie."

Rannoch3908

Okay so full fat / full calorie stuff is better.

Perfect.

PAV8888

That's not what the posters above your comment ACTUALLY said....

Rannoch3908 wrote: »

Okay so full fat / full calorie stuff is better.

Perfect.

They did say that fat free is not *always* less calories, and doesn't *always* taste as good, and *may or may* not satiate you as much.

They did say you should experiment.

glassyo

PAV8888 wrote: »

That's not what the posters above your comment ACTUALLY said....

Rannoch3908 wrote: »

Okay so full fat / full calorie stuff is better.

Perfect.

They did say that fat free is not *always* less calories, and doesn't *always* taste as good, and *may or may* not satiate you as much.

They did say you should experiment.

LOL I was wondering how that became the take away from what people said.

StevefromMichigan

Foods that are high in fats are typically higher in calories. If you eat foods that are high in fat, you will generally go through your calories a lot quicker.

Take hamburger for instance. Next time you are at the supermarket, compare the calories in a 4 ounce serving of ultra lean hamburger, (90% or greater) vs. 80%. You will see the same serving size of lean beef can have significantly less calories than beef with higher fat content.

Then there are other health considerations to consider, such as cardiovascular health.

I typically look for lean cuts of meat, foods low in fat, etc. for these reasons.

AwesomeSquirrel

Read nutrition labels and figure out the trade off in calories and whether there is more sugar in the low fat (if you care about sugar).

Then try any low fat options you think have a good nutritional profile. After you’ve eaten them you will know if the trade off is worth it. Eg saving 10kcal per serving might not be worth it if you really prefer the original. Saving 100 kcal in the same situation might be. Trial and error!

charmmeth

I eat lean meat etc but tend not to eat low fat dairy products, because the payoff is generally higher sugar/sweeteners. Having said that, I am currently trying to reduce my intake of calories through fat to the recommended maximum 35% of my daily calories and so may have another look at the low fat yoghert. (The real answer to my conundrum is probably less cheese, sadly.)

dragon_girl26

I don't personally eat fat free products (that aren't naturally fat free, anyway) because most of them are disgusting to me. I'd rather have no cheese than fat free cheese. I do tend to prefer reduced fat,, though, because the calories are a little less and the flavor is not intolerable. Again, it's a preference thing. If you like fat free/low fat products and they help you meet your calorie goal, go for it. There is no right or wrong answer here, other than does it fit within your calorie goal.

zebasschick

i lost my first 50 pounds doing nothing but changing from full fat to light foods. and with experimentation, i found the ones that tasted the best - some of them really DO taste good.

btw, none of the light foods i eat have alternative sweeteners unless they also say "no added sugar" or something like that. since i'm diabetic, those are the ones i look for.

* hint * if you eat something where the main sweetener is malitol, sorbitol or xylitol, start with small servings. these are also baby laxatives, and in even moderate amounts, they can lead to more gas and much time spent in the bathroom. your body adjusts over time, but the first time i had chocolate velamints, i ate a bunch the first night, had cramping and the runs the next day, it didn't occur to me that was the problem so i kept going. though i had the stomach flu. then it hit me *facepalm* and i cut down to 6 per day. voila! problem solved.

kshama2001

I'll go lower fat / fat free, when that does not compromise taste, which is subjective. For me:

• Fat free cottage cheese
• Low fat yogurt
• Full fat hard cheese, 85% ground beef, peanut butter

For ice cream, I don't like brands like Halo Top. Ben & Jerry's lower fat options are ok, but still lots of calories/hard for me to moderate. I've been having a half cup of yogurt with about 80 grams of berries instead. I prefer raspberries, but with blackberries and low fat yogurt, this was only 138 calories, plus 4 g of fiber and 12 g of protein.

HeidiCooksSupper

You have to figure out, through trial and error, what works for you.

For us, to some degree, it depends on ingredients. Daisy low fat cottage cheese, sour cream, etc. are still just dairy products and cultures. Other brands include thickening agents and emulsifiers. Nothing wrong with guar gum and locust bean if you like them. We don't. I use full-fat yogurt for eating it as a yummy treat with honey but low fat yogurt for making salad dressings. Low fat butters and spreads often include water and to us, that on toast just makes the bread wet so it's butter or butter/oil full fat for us. A low-fat protein bar makes me hungry, mixed nuts make me happy. Prunes are yummy and satisfying despite being all fiber and carbs. My favorite thing to put on oatmeal or toast is a combo of guacamole and cheese. That works for me. You do what works for you.

age_is_just_a_number

You don’t get fat from eating fat. You gain fat from eating more calories than you burn on average over time.
Your body and your brain need consumed fat to function.
So, track what you eat. Track your macros (carb, protein and fat). There are all sorts of opinions around the proportion of macros to target. You need to track and monitor and then over time you’ll discover what the right macro balance is for you to make a healthier version of you.

Take care

nanastaci2020

You have to figure out what works best for you. Personally i don't often use fat free because the taste or texture is different. Except perhaps in a recipe where one ingredient does not stand out in the final dish. Other than that, it depends on how things fit my calories.

For some things it is about compromise. I no longer care for whole milk. My husband doesn't like fat free. We don't use enough to buy multiple so we use 1 or 2%.