Fat Free Cheese

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MamaFunky
MamaFunky Posts: 735 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have not bought Fat Free Cheese in years! It always tasted so rubbery and didn't melt right...if at all. Our family loves cheese, so we enjoying eating regular full fat cheese in moderation. However, I was just watching an episode of Hungry Girl and she made some Chicken Taquitos that looks awesome, but they had Fat Free Cheddar Cheese in them. Does anyone have a brand of FF cheese that they can recommend that actually taste good? maybe its better now than it was a few years ago?

I do not want to eliminate regular cheese from our diet, but if I can make a few things with some better tasting FF cheese for our tailgate this Saturday, then that would be great!
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Replies

  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    I would use low fat cheese instead. I never found a fat free I liked but there are lots of good low fat cheeses out there.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    I would use low fat cheese instead. I never found a fat free I liked but there are lots of good low fat cheeses out there.
    +1 on that. It only takes a little fat, but it does take a little. there are ones made from 2% that are pretty good. Also try substituting the lower calorie cheeses - I use mozzarella sometimes when other cheese is called for and it often is fine.
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
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    Fat free cheese is an abomination, imo, but if you are looking for something try to pick one that's naturally lower in fat like mozzerella.
  • imhungry2012
    imhungry2012 Posts: 240 Member
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    2% milk/reduced fat is a happy medium...I have not found a FF one that melts or tastes good enough to sacrifice the small amount of calorie difference.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    2% milk/reduced fat is a happy medium...I have not found a FF one that melts or tastes good enough to sacrifice the small amount of calorie difference.

    this
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
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    Fat free cheese is an abomination, imo, but if you are looking for something try to pick one that's naturally lower in fat like mozzerella.

    This.

    Try feta or mozzarella.

    Or use 1/2 of what the recipe calls for in full fat cheese. Aged, sharp cheddars -- blue cheese have HUGE flavor and you don't need a lot.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Ahh Hungry Girl, the queen of fake garbage food.

    Use real cheese

    Feta, mozzarella, Parmesan, all relatively lower in fat. Cheese is one of those things where it's better to not have it at all, than to have crappy substitutes.
  • MNTom
    MNTom Posts: 18 Member
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    Some things should be banned as bad for the soul. Fat-free cheese and fat-free ice cream head that list.
  • MamaFunky
    MamaFunky Posts: 735 Member
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    Thanks for all of your replies! We will stick with the regular cheese or maybe I will try the 2% cheese and see how it turns out.

    I have never been a fan of fat free cheese, ice cream, sour cream, etc.. either. I would rather have a little bit of the good stuff than some fake stuff that has no taste. I like some of "Hungry Girls" recipes, but just can't get into some of the fat free ingredients she uses.
  • Kadoober
    Kadoober Posts: 289 Member
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    :(

    I just saw 'free cheese' and freaked out.

    Free cheese = awesome!
    Fat free cheese = the worst thing ever.

    If you want your soul to cry, eat the fat free. If you want happiness and joy, eat the full fat, in moderation.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    Ahh Hungry Girl, the queen of fake garbage food.

    Use real cheese

    Feta, mozzarella, Parmesan, all relatively lower in fat. Cheese is one of those things where it's better to not have it at all, than to have crappy substitutes.
    Amen!
  • WhiteRabbit1313
    WhiteRabbit1313 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    Fat free cheese is an abomination, imo, but if you are looking for something try to pick one that's naturally lower in fat like mozzerella.

    ^^What she said. haha!
  • crackur
    crackur Posts: 473 Member
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    I eat all cheese but cottage.......I'm going to try it again soon.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    I made the mistake of using fat free cheese for a recipe once...ONCE. That and ground turkey are the only low fat/low cal substitutes that didn't make it through the healthier food transition in my house. Disgusting plastic abomination.

    For the most part I use fresh shredded parmesan or a 2% mexican blend but I've recently gotten into using feta more.
  • MamaFunky
    MamaFunky Posts: 735 Member
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    Thanks again for all your replies! It reaffirms my dislike for Fat Free cheese and saved me some money too! :smile:
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
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    I made the mistake of using fat free cheese for a recipe once...ONCE. That and ground turkey are the only low fat/low cal substitutes that didn't make it through the healthier food transition in my house. Disgusting plastic abomination.

    For the most part I use fresh shredded parmesan or a 2% mexican blend but I've recently gotten into using feta more.

    :noway: Ground turkey is AWESOME! Especially when it make it into burgers and top it with feta (and roasted red peppers)!

    But I feel you on the disgusting plastic abomination part. :flowerforyou:
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
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    I like some of "Hungry Girls" recipes, but just can't get into some of the fat free ingredients she uses.
    Just sub in the real stuff, then. I do that all the time with cooking light recipes. (for margarine/fat free anything/etc). Recipes are adaptable!

    Goat cheese is another one that packs a lot of flavor in a little package, but it's not all that melty.
    ground turkey
    I made some ground turkey meatballs one time and they required a lot more binding than beef and more fat so they wouldn't stick to the pan.
  • MamaFunky
    MamaFunky Posts: 735 Member
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    I like some of "Hungry Girls" recipes, but just can't get into some of the fat free ingredients she uses.
    Just sub in the real stuff, then. I do that all the time with cooking light recipes. (for margarine/fat free anything/etc). Recipes are adaptable!




    I do that all the time too. Its amazing what you can do with some of the high fat recipes you see on FoodTV...if you just alter a few ingredients it can come out great with a lot less fat and calories.
  • dandelyon
    dandelyon Posts: 620 Member
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    I use full fat cheese, always.

    But Cabot makes a 75% reduced and if you needed to be low fat, you could probably acquire a taste for it. I used in when I did WW because there was a lot of emphasis on low fat.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    I made the mistake of using fat free cheese for a recipe once...ONCE. That and ground turkey are the only low fat/low cal substitutes that didn't make it through the healthier food transition in my house. Disgusting plastic abomination.

    For the most part I use fresh shredded parmesan or a 2% mexican blend but I've recently gotten into using feta more.

    :noway: Ground turkey is AWESOME! Especially when it make it into burgers and top it with feta (and roasted red peppers)!

    But I feel you on the disgusting plastic abomination part. :flowerforyou:
    Ground turkey comes in different levels of fat content and quality. The 99% fat free stuff is hard to work with and the cheaper brands tend to be grainy. But if you get good "mostly lean but still a little fat" ground turkey, it will make patties and meatballs just fine.

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