NATURAL/ORGANIC FOOD vs NONFAT

arezou_vancouver

Hello all,

Hear me out here, I am confused and need help

I am trying to stay away from processed food as much as possible but get this sense that non fat, reduced fat products such as milk, cheese are over processed ( you know, to get the fat out! ). I am assuming that organic foods are not as processed but the twist is that they are high in fat.

I don't know if my logic makes sense, as I am new to this world of dieting. I am not sure if non fat/reduced fat foods are good after all if they are processed!

Any help is appreciated

Arez

ashley0616

You can find all kinds of reduced or non fat organic dairy products. This process is easy with milk and doesn't change the integrity of it like other products.

You can also find reduced or non fat dressings, sauces, and other condiments that are organic. Most of the time, taking the fat out is easy and doesn't make the product as processed as you might think. However, always check labels to make sure they don't make up for fat with sodium or sugar. If they do, the full fat stuff is a better bet, just less of it.

Fresh, local, organic, and non-processed foods are always going to be your best friends. You can make LOTS of low or non fat meals at home with regular organic meats, produce, sauces, etc.

lawkat

In most instances, to give nonfat foods flavor, they add more sugar and other things to get them to be edible.

Organic is completely different from nonfat. If you buy, say crackers that are considered organic, only a certain percentage of the ingredients have to be deemed organic by the FDA's rules. When it comes to fresh fruits and veggies, there are certain ones that are recommended over others. Things like berries or anything where pesticides come into direct contact and are easily absorbed, should be bought as organic. Things like bananas and melons are at a lower risk and it is a waste of money to buy organic.

If you are concerned about processed foods, try to buy organic and find ways to prepare foods in a low fat manner. There are some veggies i.e. avocados that are high in good fats that are highly recommended people eat.

I don't know if I helped answer your questions.

pyro13g

High fat is not bad for you. Low fat is. Since you're trying to go natural you may want to look into Whole30, Primal Blueprint, Paleo, etc.

arezou_vancouver

Thanks I know this Q is silly, but i am gonna ask, where should I draw the line with sugar and salt in foods?

melsinct

Learn to read food labels. If stabilizers and thickening agents were added to the reduced fat product, the ingredient list will tell you so. Reduced fat cheese can be all natural or it can be full of chemicals (Cabot brand is natural). Milk is almost always fine whether it be skim, 2% or whole. It all comes down to ingredients...that will tell you how much added junk went into the product.

ashley0616

High fat is not bad for you. Low fat is. Since you're trying to go natural you may want to look into Whole30, Primal Blueprint, Paleo, etc.

That is absolutely not true in all cases. Especially with low fat dairy, many doctors and nutritionists recommend a low fat diet if you have a family history of heart disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, gall bladder disease, fatty liver, endometriosis, etc. Over processed foods, especially those that are "no sugar" (if you are not a diabetic) should be avoided, yes. But activities such as taking the cream out of dairy products doesn't make them less healthy for the general population. Edited to add: Especially with women. I can't speak for men, but a reduced fat diet can be especially important for women.

ashley0616

Thanks I know this Q is silly, but i am gonna ask, where should I draw the line with sugar and salt in foods?

Compare the low or non fat to the regular fat. If there is 50-100 percent more salt or sugar in the modified version, it's not worth it.

arezou_vancouver

Thank you all

pyro13g

High fat is not bad for you. Low fat is. Since you're trying to go natural you may want to look into Whole30, Primal Blueprint, Paleo, etc.

That is absolutely not true in all cases. Especially with low fat dairy, many doctors and nutritionists recommend a low fat diet if you have a family history of heart disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, gall bladder disease, fatty liver, endometriosis, etc. Over processed foods, especially those that are "no sugar" (if you are not a diabetic) should be avoided, yes. But activities such as taking the cream out of dairy products doesn't make them less healthy for the general population. Edited to add: Especially with women. I can't speak for men, but a reduced fat diet can be especially important for women.

Low fat among other things (like high carb) contributes to a bunch of those. Why are you using an argument that applies to the trees instead of the forest anyways ? No one on MFP should expect anything to apply in all cases. That's absurd.

deathtaco

Fat is an essential nutrient needed for hormones, muscle, liver and brain function and has many other positive properties. Rather than go full on super fat (Ketosis) or super low (dumb!) take in average amounts. You'd be surprised how many 'fat diseases' are actually caused by high levels of processed carb intake.

Extremes in nutrition are not healthy...unless you're talking about taking away agricultural grains. Cause we don't need them to live (but they are damn tasty).