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Original poster

confused - should we be eating full fat dairy or not?

18 replies

Toowittoowoo · 05/05/2015 09:30

I like watching food programmes on TV and will always gravitate to the life and style section of the newspaper so I have been hearing a lot about the benefits of full fat dairy.

We are a family of 4 and I bought a weighing scales recently and weighed and measured us all out of curiosity. DH and DD1 (4yrs) are bang in the centre of healthy range, I am towards the heavier end of healthy BMI. DD2 (18 months) enjoyed getting on and off the scales but I did not take notice of her weight as she is still little and changing so much.

Anyway - I think we eat pretty healthy, lots of home cooked food and fruit and veg etc. DH and DD eat more cakes and biscuits than me but to be far they do make them themselves so I don't nag.

I buy semi-skimmed milk and lower fat total Greek yoghurt for me and DH and full fat for DD2. DD1 has whatever is more convenient or whatever we have most of. In 6 months when DD2 is 2 yrs I was intending to switch DD2 to semi-skimmed but should I instead be switching everyone to full fat?

OP posts:
mrswhiskers · 05/05/2015 11:27

I'm interested in this too.
I know a lot of low fat foods chuck in extra sugar to improve the taste but from what I've noted on my Greek yoghurt and cheese it's minimal.

MERLYPUSSEDOFF · 05/05/2015 17:48

I was lead to believe that full fat milk has slightly less nutrients than semi because the volume was taken up by fat? We have semi, but I never buy skinny yoghurt for the boys. No idea why.

Artandco · 05/05/2015 17:51

I always buy full fat. Often when fat is taken out it has sugar added

bonzo77 · 05/05/2015 18:04

Since ds1 was 1 (4 yrs ago) I've gradually swapped from low fat everything to full fat everything. Not sure if it's related but I'm now half a stone lighter than I was when I concieved him. Well I was before I got pregnant 21 weeks ago! Oh, and I've had a baby in between, so plenty of opportunity for weight gain.

ChilliCrouton · 05/05/2015 18:07

I read that the nutrients are dissolved in the fat, if you take out the fat you lose a lot of the goodness. Also lower fat = higher proportion of sugar (true of any low fat product) and its sugar that makes you fat. It was possibly on MN but somewhere I read we shouldn't refer to it as ' full fat milk' but just 'milk'. Even blue top is still only just over the % fat of what would be considered a low fat product. As a family we all drink blue top milk, and we're all healthy weights as milk is just one part of a balanced lifestyle. I'm very willing to be told I've understood this all wrong though!!

987flowers · 05/05/2015 19:45

I've heard the same that there are more not less nutrients in full fat milk.
If you look there is slightly more sugar in the lower fat versions too. I can't stomach full fat though so will stick to semi!!

Original poster
Toowittoowoo · 05/05/2015 20:36

The reason we are meant to give full fat milk to under 2s is because it contains more nutrients (according to nhs website). But also fat is good for babies isn't it?

I wonder whether full fat milk (or blue top) will be more sustaining? I don't know...

OP posts:
sunbathe · 05/05/2015 21:04

Imo, whole milk tastes better and is more satisfying.

The fat has the fat-soluble vitamins A and D in it.

neversleepagain · 05/05/2015 22:48

We eat full fat dairy and butter. Just seems more natural.

MERLYPUSSEDOFF · 06/05/2015 15:59

www.coolmilk.com/node/65
I've just found this re the milk issue.

barbidou · 06/05/2015 16:58

I'm confused about this too. After years of drinking semi-skimmed, I recently switched to full fat milk. My reasoning was that I am not trying to lose weight, and I too read that a lot of the vitamins get removed along with the fat. But having just read that link - not the foggiest anymore!

Stinkersmum · 06/05/2015 17:20

Fat is not the enemy. Sugar is.

WhoNickedMyName · 06/05/2015 17:25

We have semi-skimmed milk, but other than that we have full fat yoghurts, real butter (not marge), full fat cream and cheese and I don't buy 'light' anything. We're all at the lower to mid range of our ideal weight.

Stillwishihadabs · 06/05/2015 17:30

We switched back to semi-skimmed (from full fat) a year ago. This was on the advice of a dietician (I asked at work) because ds was looking a bit chunky (right at the top of the healthy weight)He has slimmed down since,but I made other changes too, so not sure what made the difference. Still have full fat yogurt,cheese,cream and butter.

namechange2015 · 06/05/2015 17:35

Interested too as I'm completely Confused by it all.
I switched us to blue top milk & butter instead of marg about 6 months ago. I recently had marg on toast at my mums & was v nearly sick it tasted so gross & 'filmy'. Ive put on weight though. The whole sugar/sweetener thing is Confused as well. I read in the life section the other day that drinking anything fizzy with artificial sweetener adds inches to your waist

TinklyLittleLaugh · 06/05/2015 18:21

We have full fat milk, yoghurt, cheese, butter, everything. We are all pretty slim. I try to buy food that's been as little messed about with as reasonably possible.

ppeatfruit · 07/05/2015 15:15

Some of us are good with dairy and some are not. I can't stand it, it gives me terrible hay fever symptoms. Though the rubbish that manufacturers put into 'low fat' dairy products is terrible.

Oh yes namechange Some artificial sweeteners (esp. aspartame) are worse than normal sugar, a programme I saw on telly said that our bodies don't recognise them as food, therefore making us hungrier than ever. it almost makes me feel sorry for Cxxx Cxla

IHaveBrilloHair · 07/05/2015 15:27

I always buy full fat because it tastes better.

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