Opinions on low/no-fat dairy?

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Replies

  • rontafoya
    rontafoya Posts: 365 Member
    I think it's garbage. Mostly sugar. And the protein? You can get it elsewhere. The fat is what is good in dairy, in my opinion. I don't eat much dairy, but what little I do consume is grass fed ghee or butter, grass fed raw milk, and now and then I have latte breve (half and half). Maybe a tiny bit of cheese.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Hausisse1 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Hausisse1 wrote: »
    beachhouse758 wrote: »
    I was under the care of a doctor a few years back that also agreed that full fat dairy was best. His goal was to control my blood sugar. He said that low fat/ no fat dairy has a bit more sugar carbs. So even though they are lower in calories, they have a bigger impact on insulin and blood sugar.
    When I go to Trader Joes or Whole Foods, I am not able to find full fat cottage cheese, and the choices are not great for full-fat Greek yogurt, if at all available. So I've been eating low fat stuff lately.

    I don't know whether it really matters if you are an otherwise healthy person, or if it only makes a difference if you are trying to control blood sugar levels.

    I think food companies are always making their products follow whatever trend is going on. And since so my people still believe that fat is to be avoided at all costs, then they make more and more reduced-fat dairy products. (Or maybe it is the food companies themselves making the trends in health and "wellness" and we are the ones that follow. Who knows?)

    Anyway, it seems like most of the interesting flavors of Greek yogurt are either low fat or 0% so I've been buying those. I should probably just get the tubs of plain, full fat-yogurt...

    I mean, if it's healthier for insulin/blood sugar, it's probably healthier for all of us! Do you still manage to fill your protein macros pretty easily?

    Actually, it's irrelevant for someone without a metabolic disorder...it is even less relevant for someone without a metabolic disorder who is also very active. I eat tons of carbs...and I ride like 100 miles per week too.

    Because of the way it is process, low/no fat dairy has a gram or two more sugar than full fat...I don't see that as being particularly life altering. I prefer 1% or 2% milk myself and I like non-fat greek yogurt for the simple reason that I like the yogurt but I don't want to spend a ton of calories there...

    I see! Thank you for the input. It sounds like overall I don't need to worry about my preference for low-fat dairy, then, haha.

    Also, a lot of low fat/no fat food items contain far more added sugar (this isn't the case with dairy) to make them taste decent enough...so any many cases, someone who is opting for low/no fat is also opting for a lot more added sugar.

  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
    i eat a variety of dairy products, ranging from full fat (ice cream) to non fat (yoplait light yogurts). I dont specifically stick all full fat, or all skim.
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    Items like plain yogurt or milk or unsweetened creamer don't have more sugar than full fat...unless you break it down to sugar-per-calorie, and that's because the fat calories have been removed.

    So, you know...don't freak out about "more sugar if low fat" on plain dairy varieties. Straw man if not a sweetened food.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Whatever works for you. I grew up drinking 2% milk, so that's what I use. I can't find too much in the way of full fat yogurt, so I'm usually eating fat free. But cheese? I need the good stuff!
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,787 Member
    I like some non-fat or low-fat dairy (Laughing Cow, cottage cheese, flavored Greek yogurt) for specific purposes, but I like the real stuff overall. I don't believe there's any such thing as good non-fat cheddar cheese or low-fat Brie; I prefer my infrequent milk to be fatty and rich; I will not accept fat-less sour cream. It's kind of an arbitrary line and it mostly depends on whether [thing] is flavored and what I'm using it for. (So, for example, low-fat chipotle Laughing Cow is delicious on egg sandwiches and fat-free key lime Greek yogurt is wonderful and 2% cottage cheese is just fine because I'm just mixing it with veggies and a ton of salsa... but fat-free cheddar would not do what I want, which is make amazing quesadillas.)
  • calliegirl73
    calliegirl73 Posts: 22 Member
    i have a very high fat diet.. i drink 2 glasses of full fat raw milk and eat 2-3 tablespoons of raw butter every day either on toast or with veggies. and i have lost 4lbs this week.
  • TheNerdyMonkey
    TheNerdyMonkey Posts: 31 Member
    I don't consume dairy, I'll have cheese here and there (not cheap crap cheese) dairy isn't good for our bodies for many reasons. The only real health benefit is the calcium, which almond milk has 2x the amount. So other than cheese once in a while, I am dairy free. Plus I am lactose intolerant like most people (people can have very mild cases of lactose intolerant and not even know it) so it was a better choice for me anyway.
  • feisty_bucket
    feisty_bucket Posts: 1,047 Member
    edited April 2015
    TheNerdyMonkey wrote: »
    dairy isn't good for our bodies for many reasons

    Assuming we're all mammals here, this is not true.
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
    EWJLang wrote: »
    Cheese: Full fat or GTFO
    Milk: I don't use much, but I generally go for 2%
    Coffee Creamer: Half and Half or GTFO
    Yogurt: Icelandic Skyr is 0% fat and I find it creamier than just about anything. But, if I'm going for Greek, I generally go for some fat, either "reduced" or full fat.
    Ice Cream/Gelato: Full fat or GTFO
    Cottage Cheese: Ditto

    JoRocka wrote: »
    It's made of broken dreams and disappointment.

    Go full fat as often as possible- just don't go crazy with it.


    Seriously.

    Have you tasted whole milk ricotta compared to low fat ricotta? It's a crime against humanity to have anything other than whole milk ricotta.
  • Hausisse1
    Hausisse1 Posts: 165 Member
    PrizePopple wrote: »
    EWJLang wrote: »
    Cheese: Full fat or GTFO
    Milk: I don't use much, but I generally go for 2%
    Coffee Creamer: Half and Half or GTFO
    Yogurt: Icelandic Skyr is 0% fat and I find it creamier than just about anything. But, if I'm going for Greek, I generally go for some fat, either "reduced" or full fat.
    Ice Cream/Gelato: Full fat or GTFO
    Cottage Cheese: Ditto

    JoRocka wrote: »
    It's made of broken dreams and disappointment.

    Go full fat as often as possible- just don't go crazy with it.


    Seriously.

    Have you tasted whole milk ricotta compared to low fat ricotta? It's a crime against humanity to have anything other than whole milk ricotta.

    I personally prefer the texture of low-fat yogurt, milk and cottage cheese, but for things like ricotta, sour cream and cream cheese, yeah, I always go full-fat.
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
    I use 3.5% turkish yoghurt and most dairy I use is full fat. I find I eat less of it and that to me the non or low- variants just taste awful (and yes with more sugar).
    I guess that these choices have a lot to do what atstes you are used to and othere taste preference. I grew up close to dairy farms and as such full fat, unhomoginised milk was not uncommon. - before anybody jumps on that one, it was pasteurised.
  • lynndot1
    lynndot1 Posts: 114 Member
    edited April 2015
    I'm probably biased because I'm from a dairy, but I only enjoy the taste of full fat dairy products. Especially yogurt - I hate the mouthful of Greek yogurt because of the high protein and lack of fat content.

    Usually I buy whole milk but if I'm on a deficit I do 2%, which is the lowest I go that still tastes okay. Skim milk to me just tastes like odd water, haha.

    My general opinion is if you enjoy the taste of high fat dairy foods, just enjoy them in proper serving sizes...but really, that's true for anything you eat, haha, knowing proper portions and how they fit in your diet. I don't drink as much fluid milk as some people, but I make up for it with copious amounts of cheese and butter.

    I don't like eating "more" of "lower calorie" things. Instead I think it's better to savor smaller portions of rich foods that you enjoy rather than getting a product that might not have the same appeal. I don't have anything against low fat yogurt, but if I'm craving yogurt I want the full fat version, and a non-fat version falls short of what I want.

    With that said, munching away on lower calorie foods isn't a bad thing. God knows I can go through popcorn and carrots/veggie sticks plenty. But the difference is I expect those foods to be lower calorie and low fat. If I'm going for a dairy product I expect them to be richer.
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