Low fat cream cheese..and other food abominations

Sahri21

The Sargento reduced fat mozzarella string cheese! It was SO salty! EW! I bought that when I was on Weight Watchers and someone suggested it to me for a good snack and I ate one and it's been in my fridge since! I might make baked mozzarella sticks out of it if it's still good!

rodneyhakes

A lot of diet foods have crap I can't pronounce, therefor I don't want to put in my body or feed my family.

I agree with this sentiment and other posts regarding these fake "light" or fat free foods. I had a professor in college who dissected the ingredients list for Snackwells fat free chocolate cookies (they were hot at the time -it was the 90s). She called it better living through chemistry sarcastically. While these cookies were fat free, they had a lot of calories and chemicals in them. I also believe that the closer you get to whole foods the better, i.e. fewer ingredients, less processing. Aside from milk, everything else I use/eat is NOT low fat/light or fat free. I just eat less of it, and I am more satisfied because it tastes better. Also, I avoid anything white- sugar, flour, rice - but maybe that is off topic!

Marll

Point taken, however I'm pretty sure I don't need to be taking in any FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE when I eat peanut butter. Especially when a search for the term brings up West Bengal Chemical Industries as a top search hit for that term. I think I'll stick to peanuts and salt.

Aww, that's just iron phosphate. They use it in organic farming to get rid of snails. You'd rather have snails in your peanut butter? Haha, just kidding.

But really, that's the iron supplement that lots of companies use to get you your 4% DV of iron in your cornflakes or whatever. Lots of the vitamins and minerals sound scarier when given their scientific names. I mean who would want to eat phylloquinone? Crap, that's Vitamin K. I guess I do!

Now, I'm not defending the over-processing of so many of our foods. I seriously don't believe there should be anything in my strawberry jam but strawberries, pectin, and sugar. I'm just saying that old adage of "don't eat it if you can't pronounce it" can be a little too simple.

And that's the argument that I am making however. If you are eating natural whole foods, lots of meat, vegtables and fruits, there is no need to any added anything. Simple is better especially when it comes to nutrition IMO. I am perfectly capable of researching the ingredients that sound odd, but why even bother when you don't need to? I prefer to have my food as unprocessed as necessary. Seems to have worked for people for millions of years, and yet only in the last 50-60 years or so, since processing has become so normal with food that we've seen the skyrocketing of obesity, diabetes and other totally preventable conditions. Coincidence? Maybe, but I really don't believe that's the case.

norse1965

I'm with you. I don't anything low fat. Higher fat, low carbs and high protein. It works for me. (I'm a carb junkie and I'm really working hard to NOT be one!) Slow and steady! :-)

Your topic title says it all. Low fat food are abominations and should probably not be consumed by anyone. Can you pronounce the even half the ingredients? No? Then probably shouldn't be eating it.

Here's a good example:

Low Fat Peanut Butter

Ingredients:
PEANUTS, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, SUGAR, SOY PROTEIN, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SALT, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, MOLASSES, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, NIACINAMIDE, FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE, ZINC OXIDE, COPPER SULFATE, FOLIC ACID, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE.

Natural Peanut Butter

Ingredients:
PEANUTS, SALT


Since I eat low carb I don't buy low fat anything, and actually seek out the products that are the most natural and highest in fat. Products are much more flavorful and yet somehow I loose weight without chemicals and unnatural garbage.

rodneyhakes

The word I would use it isn't "chemicals" but "processed." Processing food is what makes it unhealthy for you, when compared to natural foods.

You hit it right on the head: "processed". I said something similar about 30 mins after you, but before reading your post. Processed is really the villain here. Processed = FRANKENFOOD

ShilohMaier

The word I would use it isn't "chemicals" but "processed." Processing food is what makes it unhealthy for you, when compared to natural foods.

You hit it right on the head: "processed". I said something similar about 30 mins after you, but before reading your post. Processed is really the villain here. Processed = FRANKENFOOD

Oh blah. Almost EVERYTHING is processed except for raw whole foods. Processing simply means you did something to it that changed it from its original state. You wouldn't go out into a field and just eat the wheat- it gets processed to make flour. Oatmeal is processed- steel cutting the oats is a PROCESS. Fermenting milk with bacteria to create yogurt is a process. All anyone here means to say is that eating foods that are several steps removed from their natural state is probably unhealthy, and at the very least generally less tasty.

Now, to the OP- Fat Free Ranch dressing qualifies as an abomination in my opinion- it is beyond gross. Watery and sour. Blech.

VirtuousVal

reduced fat = ok
non-fat = gross

except butter and peanut butter

This! Margarine has bad bad evil trans fats, so it's olive oil or butter for me 100% of the time, unless a recipe calls for canola oil which I have somewhere in a cupboard.

♦♦♦♦BUMP♦♦♦♦


My I suggest a better butter substitute called "Best Life Buttery spread". It has Trans Fat 0.0g, low in sodium.
I get mine at my local Super Walmart. I love the taste, it is lighter and smoother tasting than margarine or butter.

This Bestlife spread has 40% fewer calories and 70% less saturated fat than butter and contains no partially hydrogenated oil or palm kernel oil, so you get the healthier fats that you need at levels that make sense. All this, plus it has the delicious taste your family demands.

Excellent source of vitamin D
Natural flavor
0g trans fat
Lactose and gluten free
Kosher

INGREDIENTS:
WATER, NATURAL OIL BLEND (SOYBEAN AND PALM FRUIT OILS), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% SALT, PROTEIN, NATURAL FLAVOR, MONOGLYCERIDES OF VEGETABLE FATTY ACIDS, SORBITAN ESTER OF VEGETABLE FATTY ACIDS, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, DL-a-TOCOPHERYL ACETATE (VITAMIN E), BETA CAROTENE COLOR, VITAMIN D3, LACTIC ACID, POTASSIUM SORBATE, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA TO PROTECT FRESHNESS.


Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 tbsp (14.2 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 60Calories from Fat
60% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7.0g11%
Saturated Fat 2.0g10%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 5mg2%
Sodium 110mg5%
Total Carbohydrates 0.0g0%
Protein 0.0g
Vitamin A 10% • Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0% • Iron 0%
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Lea_8D

I get what you're saying and I agree. However. you really need to be careful with the "c" word (chemicals). EVERYTHING is chemicals. Even water, H2O...dihydrogen monoxide..is a "chemical". "chemicals" are only bad for you if they interact with and affect the body in a harmful way. Some very natural "chemicals" are lethal, whereas some synthetic ones are beneficial. It's important to know the difference.

Beware!

Dihydrogen monoxide:

is called "hydroxyl acid", the substance is the major component of acid rain.
contributes to the "greenhouse effect".
is fatal if inhaled.
contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:

as an industrial solvent and coolant.
in nuclear power plants.
in the production of Styrofoam.
as a fire retardant.
in many forms of cruel animal research.
in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
as an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.

And to think MFP encourages us to consume it in large quantities!
:drinker:

Jellyphant

Any kind of food or drink that replaces sugars with 'sucralose' or any fake sweeteners, I cannot drink. THE CLOSEST I can get wouold be stevia and that's barely passable.

alp1990

Half fat cheese - sticks to my teeth/is white??/tastes weird

30% fat cheese - Fantastic, would never know the difference.

stargazer008

Margarine - Butter is better!
Walden Farm products
Skim milk

zaithyr

Point taken, however I'm pretty sure I don't need to be taking in any FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE when I eat peanut butter. Especially when a search for the term brings up West Bengal Chemical Industries as a top search hit for that term. I think I'll stick to peanuts and salt.

Aww, that's just iron phosphate. They use it in organic farming to get rid of snails. You'd rather have snails in your peanut butter? Haha, just kidding.

But really, that's the iron supplement that lots of companies use to get you your 4% DV of iron in your cornflakes or whatever. Lots of the vitamins and minerals sound scarier when given their scientific names. I mean who would want to eat phylloquinone? Crap, that's Vitamin K. I guess I do!

Now, I'm not defending the over-processing of so many of our foods. I seriously don't believe there should be anything in my strawberry jam but strawberries, pectin, and sugar. I'm just saying that old adage of "don't eat it if you can't pronounce it" can be a little too simple.

And that's the argument that I am making however. If you are eating natural whole foods, lots of meat, vegtables and fruits, there is no need to any added anything. Simple is better especially when it comes to nutrition IMO. I am perfectly capable of researching the ingredients that sound odd, but why even bother when you don't need to? I prefer to have my food as unprocessed as necessary. Seems to have worked for people for millions of years, and yet only in the last 50-60 years or so, since processing has become so normal with food that we've seen the skyrocketing of obesity, diabetes and other totally preventable conditions. Coincidence? Maybe, but I really don't believe that's the case.

The rise in obesity probably has more to do with the fact that we have more conveniences and have to do far less manual labor than the average person 50-60 years ago. Processed is not always bad. You just have to find a balance in your diet and don't overdo it on one thing or another.

royaldrea

The Great Value brand of "I can't believe it's not butter".......It's called "Wow I Totally thought that was Butter" <---(LOL!!! I thought that was so funny when I bought it!)

it tastes like nothing. just like tasting air with a butter consistency. EW...no thanks, I'll pay a little more for the real thing!

In future, please refrain from such hilarity between the hours of 9am to 5pm for the sake of your MFPals' jobs. "Wow I Totally thought that was Butter"?? LOL! Dying over here...

ETA: And low fat mayo is horrible. I prefer full fat everything actually - just minimize portions and make sensible decisions! Why work so hard to be 'healthy' if it means being miserable? Food is supposed to be delicious.

zaithyr

The word I would use it isn't "chemicals" but "processed." Processing food is what makes it unhealthy for you, when compared to natural foods.

You hit it right on the head: "processed". I said something similar about 30 mins after you, but before reading your post. Processed is really the villain here. Processed = FRANKENFOOD

Oh blah. Almost EVERYTHING is processed except for raw whole foods. Processing simply means you did something to it that changed it from its original state. You wouldn't go out into a field and just eat the wheat- it gets processed to make flour. Oatmeal is processed- steel cutting the oats is a PROCESS. Fermenting milk with bacteria to create yogurt is a process. All anyone here means to say is that eating foods that are several steps removed from their natural state is probably unhealthy, and at the very least generally less tasty.

Now, to the OP- Fat Free Ranch dressing qualifies as an abomination in my opinion- it is beyond gross. Watery and sour. Blech.

I agree with everything above. I think people watch way too many independent health "documentaries" on netflix and believe the latest diet paranoia they read about online and suddenly everything is bad for you or off limits.

SamanthaD23

"MAGNESIUM OXIDE, NIACINAMIDE, FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE, ZINC OXIDE, COPPER SULFATE, FOLIC ACID, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE" - are mostly vitamins and minerals, commonly found in multi-vits (pyridoxine is B12 etc)

myfitnessnmhoy

Start tracking fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

If you are over on your fat intake, then by all means reduce fat. Though I'd suggest maybe changing out whatever you have your cream cheese on to something that doesn't require cream cheese (for example, if that something is my previous breakfast staple - bagels - swap it out for oatmeal and an egg - same calories, much better food quality).

If you aren't over on fats, then for goodness sake EAT FULL-FAT STUFF. Fat is not your enemy, too many calories or an imbalanced diet is your enemy.

Irony: Not eating enough fat can make you fat.

butterfli7o

I won't do fat-free cheeses. I like some reduced-fat ones, and Laughing Cow cheese...but there's just something nasty about fat-free cheese.
Oh, and turkey bacon. Yuck.

miranda_mom

I just read a great article - I wish I could find it - about the flavoring industry - both natural and artificial. Creeped me out. Artificial flavors were first discovered when someone working in a lab mixed two things together and realized that that combination smelled like something - almonds, I think. Now, they make flavorings that taste like just about anything to add to food.

That's my issue - you like to think that something that's, say, strawberry flavored has strawberries in it. Not that it's made of some combination of unrelated chemicals that happen to smell like strawberry. Better yet to just have the strawberries whole on their own.

According to the article, "natural" flavors aren't necessarily any better. i used to think that natural flavors meant that they were extracted from that thing (strawberry flavor from strawberries for example). Instead they are the exact same things as the artificial flavors but extracted from real things. For example, they use an extract from peach and plum pits to make an almond flavoring. But they can call it "natural" flavors.

That's were I try to draw the line - but they're in everything!

mturgeon05

The Sargento reduced fat mozzarella string cheese! It was SO salty! EW! I bought that when I was on Weight Watchers and someone suggested it to me for a good snack and I ate one and it's been in my fridge since! I might make baked mozzarella sticks out of it if it's still good!

I just gagged down one of those myself. I usually buy a store brand string cheese, but got Sargento because it was on sale. I only go shopping once a week, so it looks like I will be suffering until Sunday. Haha.