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Full or low fat dairy?

karmelpopcorn
karmelpopcorn Posts: 77 Member
edited November 30 in Debate Club
We are not milk drinkers in our household, so dairy products that we do have are usually full fat. I use whole milk for cooking, and occasionally on my granola. We use a few other dairy products like cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, etc, sparingly. Or maybe not sparingly enough. I'm having trouble with my weight loss, and looking for the culprit.

I tend to side with the more natural view of food, and see low-fat dairy as something processed and unnatural. What are your thoughts?
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Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I do better on more natural (occurring) fat. More satisfied, satiated, everything tastes better, I crave vegetables instead of sweets.
  • lkarlheim
    lkarlheim Posts: 5 Member
    I agree. Low fat foods often have higher sugar content, or other additives. to make up for the flavor. I find that when I choose full fat foods, I am more satisfied with less food.
  • erialcelyob
    erialcelyob Posts: 341 Member
    I would say zero dairy. But if you are going to have any go full fat. It's the real *kitten*, nothing hidden in there
  • erialcelyob
    erialcelyob Posts: 341 Member
    Also, if you are eating cheese - I would make sure you always measure it as it is very calorific and easy to guestimate very wrong (I am very guilty of not doing that!)
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
    erialcelyob wrote: »
    I would say zero dairy. But if you are going to have any go full fat. It's the real *kitten*, nothing hidden in there

    I believe the fat removal process happens mechanically, not chemically. What would be hidden stuff would be added by a process that doesn't involve adding stuff?

    OP - I don't side with the preference of natural versus not, to me it seems to obscuring thinking about the actual research and evidence for things.

    Personally, I see the relevant points in making a choice the taste calorie trade off, and total dietary fat intake. If dietary fat intake is low, full or skim might be beneficial for all the things fat can do - in particular if fat is low or you otherwise have vitamin D defficiency, the fat soluble nature of the vitamin means full fat dairy might be a good option for getting it and making storage possible. If fat in the diet is already high, reducing it from dairy might be a good place to look. If neither is a serious option, it comes down to how you like the taste of either option compared to the calories it takes.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Totally a personal choice. We need dietary fat and if you'd like to get it from full fat dairy, go for it. I personally like higher volume and prefer to get my fat from other sources. At the same time I like the taste of lower fat cheese and I drink almond milk. I would not do so if I didn't enjoy it.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    I generally do low fat diary. Full fat isn't worth the calories to me and taste like crap. Fat doesn't fill me up (more reason why it's not worth the calories) and comparatively, with dairy, they don't add sugar (look at the same brand of milk and you will notice all the same. Very similar with cheese).
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    Totally a personal choice. We need dietary fat and if you'd like to get it from full fat dairy, go for it. I personally like higher volume and prefer to get my fat from other sources. At the same time I like the taste of lower fat cheese and I drink almond milk. I would not do so if I didn't enjoy it.

    This^

    I love dairy, but get most of my fat elsewhere.

    Most dairy products are lower fat, because fat has been removed. Fat free is where you can run into problems (added ingredients) - fat free ice cream, fat free cream cheese. I avoid these. Fat free cheese is pretty worthless.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Other than raw milk, all dairy is processed. I go for nonfat or reduced fat on almost all dairy because I prefer the taste and calorie count. There are a few cheeses that I go full fat, but it's rare. Dairy isn't a significant part of my diet though. I go days without it.
  • LBuehrle8
    LBuehrle8 Posts: 4,044 Member
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Other than raw milk, all dairy is processed. I go for nonfat or reduced fat on almost all dairy because I prefer the taste and calorie count. There are a few cheeses that I go full fat, but it's rare. Dairy isn't a significant part of my diet though. I go days without it.

    This is me to the T.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    karmelpopcorn wrote: »
    We are not milk drinkers in our household, so dairy products that we do have are usually full fat. I use whole milk for cooking, and occasionally on my granola. We use a few other dairy products like cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, etc, sparingly. Or maybe not sparingly enough. I'm having trouble with my weight loss, and looking for the culprit.

    I tend to side with the more natural view of food, and see low-fat dairy as something processed and unnatural. What are your thoughts?

    All they do with low fat dairy is skim the fat off...otherwise it's processed just like all milk/dairy is processed. There is more sugar (like a gram or something) in the form of lactose in low fat because they have to use more volume of milk to make a gallon with the fat being skimmed off vs full fat...that's it.

    I eat non fat greek yogurt and use 1% milk...there are other things I'd rather spend my calories on than full fat dairy.
  • snikkins
    snikkins Posts: 1,282 Member
    Both. I have full fat cheese and a Greek yogurt right now and 2% milk. Non-fat to me tastes like watery sadness and 1% somehow worse than that.

    We also do non-fat yogurts, though.
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    edited February 2016
    I prefer the taste of full fat dairy. Id rather give up dairy completely than have to eat tje low fat versions.

    That said. You can enjoy full fat dairy and lose weight. Are you logging accurately and weighing solids / measuring liquids?
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Full fat for taste. But there is nothing "unnatural" about low fat dairy - although sometimes there are a few more fillers.

    Personally there is one diary item I love in the non-fat version - fromage blanc can be found in France with 0.2% fat. It tastes a bit chalkier than 20% or 40% fromage blanc but it is still a great base for compote or quince or just mixed with protein powder.
  • Char231023
    Char231023 Posts: 700 Member
    I got use to eating fat free cheddar. When I have the full fat it taste too oily for me.
  • hopeandtheabsurd
    hopeandtheabsurd Posts: 265 Member
    I choose based on personal taste...full fat cottage cheese is the only edible kind. B) Ditto sour cream and most cheeses (I don't mind part skim mozzarella). If I had to choose low fat versions or not eat them at all, I would not eat them. Milk, I prefer full fat but 2% is fine and in the past I've also been OK with skim.
  • michellesz
    michellesz Posts: 429 Member
    Diet not open. May be more to this than the dairy. Watch your sodium and be sure to be careful of your portions too. I do both full and low fat. All in preference. Most full fat cheeses and sour creme but out of preference eat low fat yogurts and skim milk. Combination of either hadn't hindered over 80 pounds of weight loss. Might need to also consider mixing things up in your exercise program too.
  • NEOHgirl
    NEOHgirl Posts: 237 Member
    I stick with full-fat. I don't do milk, but I eat cheese as my primary form of calcium, and recent studies have indicated that consumption full-fat dairy doesn't negatively affect weight-loss, although they aren't sure why. Since I only have a 1-2 ounces a day, I stick with the real stuff. Back in the day, I was all about the low-fat dairy, but fat free was definitely not worth it.


    http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/02/12/275376259/the-full-fat-paradox-whole-milk-may-keep-us-lean



  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I think it's purely a matter of taste and don't really see low/no fat as more "processed" (and wouldn't care anyway).

    I don't find the full fat versions more filling and like low fat greek yogurt and cottage cheese just as much, so I save the calories (and saturated fat) for foods where I appreciate them, like cheese and ice cream.

    Dairy never hurt my weight loss one bit.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    NEOHgirl wrote: »
    I stick with full-fat. I don't do milk, but I eat cheese as my primary form of calcium, and recent studies have indicated that consumption full-fat dairy doesn't negatively affect weight-loss, although they aren't sure why. Since I only have a 1-2 ounces a day, I stick with the real stuff. Back in the day, I was all about the low-fat dairy, but fat free was definitely not worth it.


    http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/02/12/275376259/the-full-fat-paradox-whole-milk-may-keep-us-lean

    This sounds very similar to the diet soda data. People who drink diet soda tend to be heavier. People who eat low fat dairy tend to be heavier in these 2 studies.

    It couldn't possibly be that dieters tend to drink diet soda, eat lowfat dairy and be heavy.
  • razzjam334
    razzjam334 Posts: 39 Member
    They add more sugar to low fat to make it taste better to sell more I seem to lose weight when I drink fair life milk verses other brands lower sugar more protein more expensive but if you don't use it that often it might be worthwhile for you
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    razzjam334 wrote: »
    They add more sugar to low fat to make it taste better to sell more I seem to lose weight when I drink fair life milk verses other brands lower sugar more protein more expensive but if you don't use it that often it might be worthwhile for you

    This is true for many low-fat or fat-free products, but it is not true for milk. Seriously, look at the ingredients for skim milk some time. It's just milk, usually with vitamins A and D added. No extra sugars that aren't in the milk to begin with.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    razzjam334 wrote: »
    They add more sugar to low fat to make it taste better to sell more I seem to lose weight when I drink fair life milk verses other brands lower sugar more protein more expensive but if you don't use it that often it might be worthwhile for you

    Since we are talking about dairy, this is false. I don't know why people claim this.

    NO sugar is added to skim or low fat milk or cottage cheese or plain yogurt. Sometimes sugar is added to yogurt (for example, flavored yogurts) but that has nothing to do with whether it is low fat or full fat (there are flavored yogurts of both kinds).
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    edited February 2016
    Skim milk, zero-fat yogurt, full fat cheeses and cream for my coffee. I have no problems with the taste of nonfat milk/yogurt, but low-fat cheeses taste like plastic to me. They don't melt as nicely either.

    [ETA:] The terms "processed" and "unnatural" don't scare me. They're meaningless in the context of the nutritional/health value of food. There are many food items which would be completely inedible if they weren't "processed".
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  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
    The only full fat dairy product I eat is cheddar cheese. The mozzarella cheese I eat in foods is part skim and the homemade yogurt I eat is low fat.
  • rontafoya
    rontafoya Posts: 365 Member
    I don't think most dairy is very healthy. When I do eat/drink it, I mix it up between low, non, and full fat dairy depending on my macro and calorie needs for the day.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I drink a lot of milk so I stick with light, purely to save calories, I much prefer the taste of full fat everything. I wouldn't even think to eat low fat cheese,mayo or dressing. Full fat yogurt and cottage too, purely because they taste better and have fewer carbs than the light versions.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I prefer to consume smaller amounts of full fat dairy. I don't like the way lower fat versions taste so they aren't worth eating.
  • CurlyCockney
    CurlyCockney Posts: 1,394 Member
    I have 0% Greek yoghurt and 0.1% milk, so that I can have full-fat cheese. I don't notice the taste difference in the first two, but don't enjoy lower fat cheese.
This discussion has been closed.

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