low fat vs fat free cheeses

Don't know the ups and downs of the nitty gritty.  But my taste buds do! 

From personal experiments... FAT = TASTE  So the more you reduce the fat content the more (as Chris so perfectly said) it tastes like salty cardboard.  Oh, and really low fat cheese... and melting don't seem to work!

Day to day... I use a low fat cheese (7%) and when I want flavour (eg on a caesar salad) I use full fat high flavour cheese (eg parmesan) in much smaller quantities.

Em

I'm with Em, it depends on the cheese. A slice of non-fat American works fine on a burger. No-fat cream cheese works well in recipes. 2% Cheddar and Mozzarella is as low as I go in mexican or on pizza-- nonfat doesn't melt right. On crackers, I prefer a real havarti or cheddar or gouda, full fat, in smaller amounts. Here are some comparisons within one brand/type (which is perhaps the best comparison: apples/apples, not apples/oranges). You will notice no  significant loss in nutrition as fat decreases-- in some cases, due to added nutrients, you actually GAIN nutritional benefts from the lower fat versions. KRAFT™ SHREDDED CHEESE (each one is PER OUNCE-- a quarter cup is 2 oz.) Kraft Full Fat Shredded Cheddar or Mozzarella:   55 cal      4.5 fat     1 carb   3.5 protein ---10% calcium, 15 mg cholesterol Kraft Reduced Fat (2%) Cheddar or Mozarella:   40 cal     3 fat     .5 carb    3.5 protein ---- 10% calcium,  10 mg cholesterol Kraft Fat Free Cheddar or Mozzarella :    22.5 cal    0 fat   1 carb    4.5 protein ----13% calcium,  1 mg cholesterol

Hmmm, thanks guys.  Well I guess maybe I should probably stick with it as much as I can, but not beat myself if I go low fat on occasion.  Your right on one thing, it really depends on what it is and what your using it for.  I swore there was a reason why people don't eat ff though.  I'll have to look through my emails, I thought someone put it on here, but I guess not.

Thanks again! 

I have both real cheese (like usually 3 kinds at least) and one brand of low fat I don't hate:  South Beach brand slices. Good meltability, flavor. Just use for melted cheese sandwiches or once in a while on broccoli.  Otherwise, I don't generally like or use or believe in ff products.  I like a lot of lower fat dressings, but even then, i prefer to use less of the real thing. I am okay with light Hellman's mayo - no other.  But, even with mayo, I tend to buy full fat and use less.  I also don't generally buy light ice cream, or make lower fat desserts - just cuz, I feel like these are foods I don't "need" anyway, so much better to have the real thing than suck down less than desirable products.  One major exception:  we buy ff milk. I think it tastes colder, weird, i know...if cold can be a taste.

We do some low fats and some full fats depending on the product. Skim milk has been a staple around here since my oldest was born 18 years ago. Low fat cottage cheese works for us, too. For gravy, Hubby insists on whole milk and cheese is always whole fat. Like I say, it all depends.