Replacement for Neufchatel (LF) Cream Cheese?
 

Hi, I was just looking at the breakfast recipes, and one of them was for a breakfast cheesecake that contains Neufchatel (LF) Cream Cheese.

I am starting phase 1 tomorrow and I thought I would make this, but we don't have Neufchatel (LF) Cream Cheese in Canada, at least not where I live.

What would be the substitute for that? LF Ricotta? LF Cream Cheese? LF Cottage Cheese? Any suggestions would be great. I'm looking forward to having something other than eggs for breakfast.

Thx.

Lowfat cream cheese is the same thing, I think.

Yep, Neufchatel cheese is low fat cream cheese (in the USA, you'll sometimes see both names on the package, or one or the other).

If you can't find fat free or low fat cream cheese, you could use regular cream cheese, but would have to recalculate the fat and calories in the recipe. Mascarpone works in most recipes calling for cream cheese.

Thanks for the info.:hug: I thought that it might be a specific cream cheese since it had the brand name listed.

So can I use all FF cream cheese instead of using some LF?

You could probably use all FF cream cheese, but you'll get a much better flavor if you use a combination of both FF and LF.

I prefer low fat to fat free (haven't blended the two, though). The fat free has a gritty or powdery texture that I'm not fond of.

There's a French cheese called Neufchâtel. Apparently, an American trying to make his own version of Neufchâtel ended up with something that was more like cream cheese. Here's a description of American Neufchâtel from Wikipedia:

Originally Posted by :
American Neufchâtel is a lower-fat cream cheese product marketed as a healthier alternative to cream cheese. It is not identical to French Neufchâtel. American Neufchâtel is somewhat softer than cream cheese due to its 33% lower fat and higher moisture content.

I try to stay away from fat-free dairy products because they often have additives that are either unpronounceable (so I don't want them in my body) or extra sugar. Check the fat-free cream cheese to make sure it's free from those things before using it. :)