Dairy: low fat or full fat?

[Palestrina]

When you eat yogurt or drink milk do you opt for the regular full fat or low fat versions and why?

[lisa4621]

I used to go low fat as I thought it was healthier - this was before I lost any weight. My mentality has shifted now and I eat smaller portions of full fat products (excl milk as can't stomach whole milk) as I know what I am eating. All of the additives and in low fat dairy products have really put me off - especially yoghurts, I only eat natural yoghurt now.

[kaplods]

It completely depends on how I'm eating and what else I'm eating. I tend to cycle through several different WOE. If I were better organized about it, you could call ir carb cycling.

If I'm eating higher carb, I use low-fat dairy.

If I'm eating paleo or other carb-restricted, I use low-fat dairy if I'm eating a lot of other fats (red meat, butter, coconut oil, avocado). If I'm eating leaner meats and less fat, I'll use higher fat dairy.

If I'm eating very low-carb, then full-fat dairy.


Right now, I'm following "The Simple Diet" (from the book by Anderson & Gusrafson), which is low-fat and moderate carb/protein. I make my own shakes and my own yogurt to make the shakes.

To meet the fat guidelines of the diet, I have to use reduced-fat dairy.

When I'm calorie counting or exchange plan dieting, I CAN choose full-fat dairy, but I tend to choose low fat (when it makes sense) because to stretch my food budget.

For most cheeses, especially hard cheeses, I'd rather have a tiny amount of a strong, full fat cheese than a larger serving of the reduced fat version, but I like low-fat ricotta, cottage cheese and cream cheese just fine.

[crispin]

I go with 2% milk and yogurt and usually full fat cheese. I prefer it this way for flavor and satiety reasons.

[Suzanne 3FC]

I don't eat dairy anymore, but when I did I chose the low fat version if it wasn't made low fat by including other ingredients which were most likely unnatural. Naturally low fat was good, IMO, as long as it still tasted good. Otherwise, I chose the full fat natural version.

[geoblewis]

When I choose to have dairy products, I go full fat. I do this because I'm PCOS and a type 2 diabetic. I found that reducing the fat in the milk that I drank or yogurt I ate spiked my blood sugar. The fat in the whole milk slows the digestion of the carbs down.

But I generally don't drink any sort of milk any more. I do eat cheese daily and use a little heavy cream in my coffee. I get plenty of calcium from the greens and sardines I eat. If I'm going to drink something caloric, it's got to have alcohol in it!

[Palestrina]

Cool thanks! I stick to full fat cheese and usually full fat or 2% greek yogurt. We only have full fat milk in the house because we have a toddler.