Just bought a box of these yesterday for the first time - yum! I am a huge turophile (cheese lover) and it's one of the hardest parts to really fit into a diet sanely (how I would want anyways - I could eat it all day long!).
I had tried the Garlic and Herb before. It had a slightly odd taste to me, but still wasn't bad as a cheese snack. These French Onion ones though were great.
It's not bad nutritionally- 35 calories and 2 fat grams per wedge. 2.5 g protein. It's a good solution when I am in a cheese mood, and need a nice snack between meals to keep me going.
What other cheesy snacks have you found that are better for you than usual?
I like Babybel cheeses - the light is okay, although I normally just eat the regular ones. I don't feel bad about the full-fat, because they're all portioned out!
I love laughing cow! I've never seen the french onion but I would love to try it. All they have around here is the herb and garlic and plain (light), I usually buy the herb and garlic even though one wedge is 1 WW point - the light is 2 wedges for 1 point
I LOVE laughing cow. I'm lactose intolerant so I have to pay special attention to how much dairy I eat, but Laughing Cow definitely tops my list of healthy dairy products to eat.
The french onion is definitely my favorite...yum!!! I usually eat it on triscuit, pita chips, cucumbers, and celery. I've also used it in cooking and on sandwiches.
I know a lot of people love the Laughing Cow cheeses, but I've not found any that I like. The taste is ok, but the texture is much like Velveeta and other processed cheeses and "cheese foods" - more like plastic or clay than cheese - so they don't really satisfy a cheese craving for me (especially since moving to Wisconsin and discovering so many good "real" cheeses).
I do like light and fat free cream, cottage, feta, and ricotta cheeses, but otherwise, I'd rather have a half ounce of real cheese over an ounce or two of less-cheesy cheese.
I know a lot of people love the Laughing Cow cheeses, but I've not found any that I like. The taste is ok, but the texture is much like Velveeta and other processed cheeses and "cheese foods" - more like plastic or clay than cheese.
So they don't really satisfy a cheese craving for me (especially since moving to Wisconsin and discovering so many good "real" cheeses).
I do like light and fat free cream, cottage, feta, and ricotta cheeses, but otherwise, I'd rather have a half ounce of real cheese over an ounce or two of less-cheesy cheese.
That's very true. As someone who has spent up to $26/pound for cheese so far, I know what real cheeses are like. And LOVE them.
I think for me...the problem comes in that it's hard to buy even a tiny (I mean really tiny) chunk of real cheeses sometimes. And if it's there in the fridge, it's something that I have a hard time keeping my hands off.. At least LC satisfies the cheese urges, sufficiently, for me. If I eat the whole box, it's not the end of the world at 280 calories. I find real cheese so satisfying though, that I would probably end up in the 1000+ calorie range too often.
It's all about finding our own weaknesses and solutions, right?
I love Sargento reduced fat sharp cheddar snack cheese. It comes packaged just like string cheese, but since it's sharp cheddar, it has much more flavor! I also love the laughing cow...I've only tried the original light...I'll have to try the french onion!
Trader Joe has an amazing selection of reduced fat cheeses. Everything from gouda to provolone to Mexican blend and all the usual varieties too.
Nothing comes close to real cheese (it's pretty big around here too) but I have an inability to stick to a half ounce portion so it doesn't come into the house. Feta is the only exception because I just use it in frittatas in small amounts. I realized awhile back that 1 ounce of real feta is more effective in providing flavor than 2 ounces of reduced fat or an unlimited amount of fat free. I like to buy small portions of sheep feta to get the most bang for my calories
It's all about finding our own weaknesses and solutions, right?
Absolutely. One person's trigger food can be another person's sanity saver.
I find portion control difficult with real cheese only if I'm pairing it with a carbohydrate. If I eat cheese alone or paired with another protein or low carb fruits or vegetables - for a snack or in a salad, then I'm happy with a very small piece of cheese - half to one ounce, especially if it's a strong flavored cheese, but pair it with crackers and I can eat until my stomach is sore and I'll still want more.
I always thought of real cheeses as a completely off-limit food for weight loss, because I always ate cheese with bread, crackers, tortilla chips, as a potato topper.... I never really thought of eating cheese without a starchy delivery system, but it turns out that cheese is very manageable for me if I don't pair it with starch.
I almost didn't mention that I don't care for the Laughing Cow, because whenever I do, it seems that it comes across as though I'm being a cheese snob or worse. Sometimes when I've mentioned that I dislike it (such as when a family member tried to push some of the stuff on me, because she knew I was dieting) I've offended the person, almost as if I'd said that I hated God, Oprah, or little puppies.
Laughing Cow Light French Onion Cheese
