There’s a question I’ve been getting a lot lately and it goes something like this:
“If you avoid processed foods how is it that you’re still eating cheese (or cream cheese or sour cream or [insert dairy product here])? Isn’t cheese processed?”
The thing is even cooking is technically a form of processing or changing your food so unless you are on a raw food diet, which we are not, we are all eating food that’s been somewhat “processed”. So maybe it would be better to say we avoid all highly processed foods, which, to draw the line somewhere, we define as having more than 5 (or any refined) ingredients.
So to hopefully answer some of those burning cheese questions I’d like to share what we look for when it comes to purchasing dairy products in general. And in case you missed it be sure to check out our post earlier this month all about milk.
Cheese
There are a few basic things we look for in cheese…
- Organic: As I’ve mentioned before you can’t exactly peel or wash off dairy products like you can with conventional produce so we think it’s best to go organic if you can.
- Block Form (as opposed to pre-grated): Bagged, pre-shredded cheese contains an anti-caking agent called cellulose that’s sometimes made from wood pulp. Whether this additive concerns you or not the point is it’s an extra additive you will not find in a block of cheese. So when we want grated cheese at our house we just grate it ourselves. Yes, it’s an extra step, but it’s worth it to me especially because I think the texture is much better (i.e. less “powdery”).
- White: Cheese, which is obviously made from milk or cream, is meant to be white not orange…think about it. The orange color is typically a harmless, natural color additive, but just to make a point I personally like to buy my cheese white because that’s the way it’s supposed to be. When it comes to “voting with my dollars” I don’t like to mess around!
- Full Fat: We no longer buy any reduced-fat or non-fat food products (since to get products that way they are simply more processed), which is actually kind of a relief because I never thought the low-fat versions tasted all that good anyway!
- Grass-Fed: Cows are meant to eat grass (not corn), and as I mentioned in the milk post when animals are fed a proper diet their food products are in turn more nutritious for you. Sometimes it’s hard to find, but I ideally look for cheeses that either say “grass-fed” or “pasture raised” on the package.
Yogurt*, Cream Cheese, and Other Dairy Products
This is what we look for when it comes to other dairy products like cream cheese, sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, and ricotta cheese…
- Organic: Just like cheese and milk we always choose organic when it comes to any dairy products.
- Full Fat: Once again we did away with all low-fat and non-fat products when we made the switch to real food.
- Plain: When it comes to dairy products like yogurt, it’s always best to buy the plain version and flavor it yourself. The majority of factory-made food contains way too much sugar (and salt and oil) so it’s not only best to be able to control how much is added, but also what type of sweetener is used. We love mixing our plain yogurt with homemade berry sauce, homemade strawberry-honey jam, or a little maple syrup and vanilla extract… you can also add some orange zest for a real treat!
- Least Number of Ingredients: No matter what type of food you are buying I highly recommend to ALWAYS read the ingredients before making a purchase. Most of the time least processed = least number of ingredients (as long as those ingredients are “whole” of course).
- Grass-Fed: Once again this can be hard to find especially when you are looking beyond cheese and milk, but ideally all dairy products should come from grass-fed (as opposed to corn or grain-fed) cows.
*Note Regarding Greek Yogurt: I can’t really say that Greek yogurt is “better” or “worse” for you than regular yogurt because to be honest it’s just different. As long as the yogurt meets the criteria outlined above just pick whichever one you like best!
New Sponsor: Plan to Eat
I’d like to introduce another one of our newest sponsors today…Plan to Eat! Plan to Eat is a very cool meal planning service that is quite different from all the rest. Before now most of the services I’ve come across give you a dinner plan and shopping list so you basically eat the meals they’ve picked out for you for the week. Plan to Eat, on the other hand, is a program that automatically turns YOUR own recipes into a meal plan and shopping list. You can import recipes from websites and blogs or add your own. So in the most basic terms you decide what you’re going to have for dinner and Plan to Eat organizes the information for you into one neat meal plan and shopping list! They even have a feature where you can access your shopping list from your mobile phone. Pretty cool, huh?
Thank you for this post (and your entire website!!!). I have been just wondering specifically about cheese, and I’ve been having a hard time finding organic cheese at my grocery store. What are your thoughts on mozzarella cheese sticks? My kids love them as a go-to snack, I will have to check the label for extras.
Hi Jesse. Glad you are enjoy the blog. Yep, an old stand by…Don’t tell anyone but I have a(n) (old) package of organic string mozzarella sticks from my refrigerator that I am examining right now. The ingredients are: organic pasteurized part-skim cow’s milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes. I think the biggest issue here would be that it is not a full fat cheese which indicates it is more processed. Finding full fat fresh mozzarella might be better or tracking down full fat sticks….but I think we all have to pick and choose what works best for our families. ~Amy
I was wondering if Lisa and her Husband have had their cholesterol checked before starting on this type of full fat diet? I know they are young and the diet is very healthy otherwise but aren’t they worried at all about all of the cheese they eat?
Hi Pat – We aren’t worried about the cheese we eat…we eat a pretty varied diet. We do get physicals every year. After switching to real food our “bad” cholesterol levels remained about the same (healthy), however our “good” cholesterol levels increased significantly for me and dramatically for Lisa. More info here http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/02/23/shocking-blood-test-results/.
Thanks Jason! I really want to cut out the processed foods but was a little afread of pushing my cholesterol levels for myself and my Husband. We are in our 60′s and in generally good health. He always drank a lot of full fat milk and loves his cheese and he is very thin! I have always watched my weight (successfully) but ate some processed low fat and low sugar foods and never really felt good about eating them.
I am determined to do this and hope I can succeed!
Pat. Research about the low fat foods. A lot of the low fat foods are GMO filled which in turn causes your body to not fill up as fast as if you ate whole foods. I’m not talking about like whole wheat. I am talking about non processed foods, your cheap foods have GMO which are a lot lower in nutrition which your body can’t fill up and wants more. Scientists have now found that fructose corn syrup actually makes your body crave more sugary foods and in excess amounts. A great movie to watch is Genetic Roulette, it’s on Vimeo.com. Watch it when you can, it explains all this wonderfully. And stop eating any and all commercialized foods all together. They are all GMO filled.
How do you buy your spices, sugar, etc…organic, bulk ? Is everything you buy to cook with and eat pretty much organic? Still learning!!!
thks
Hi Katrina. We buy some in bulk and some prepackaged. We do try to find as many organic ingredients as possible. ~Amy
Hi,
Seeing your picture of Stonyfield yogurt made me wonder how you define “organic,” as you know that there is much deception with this labeling. Organic milk is often produced on the same farms as non-organic milk (just different barns, same factory-style). Organic eggs are often produced in the industrialized barns w/ chickens still never seeing the light of day (and “free-range” only means the chickens have to have access to daylight…not that they actually get it.)
I thought I had remembered seeing that Stonyfield had caved to Monsanto’s GE crop agenda. Organic Consumers covers it here: http://thegoodhuman.com/2011/01/29/whole-foods-organic-valley-and-stonyfield-farm-surrender-to-monsanto/
I know you advocate farmer’s markets, but for those who do not have easy access to these, they rely upon the “organic” labeling, often thinking they are getting something they are not. We are stuck, as consumers, because “true organic” is so difficult to come by, even if you buy directly from the farmer or grow it yourself. I just wonder how many consumers are still being deceived by this term.
Thanks for you input, Lindsay. Our readers are have so much helpful information! ~Amy
I see both “organic” and “grass-fed” on your list of criteria. I thought organic cows had to be grass-fed to meet the USDA requirements. Am I misinformed?
Hi Juli. Grass fed does not mean organic and organic does not mean grass fed. These posts might help you sort it out: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/05/10/you-are-what-you-eat-eats-too/ and http://www.grass-fed-beef-101.com/definition_of_grass_fed_beef.html. Good luck. ~Amy
Question about greek yogurt…do they make full fat plain greek yogurt? I haven’t seen it.
Hi Emily. It is hard to find. This is one brand that I’ve found at either Whole Foods or Earth Fare: http://www.nancysyogurt.com/index.php/probiotic-greek/whole-milk-organic-probiotic-greek. Good luck. ~Amy
I’m searching for a great cheese for quesadillas! My kids love them & they’re our go to quick meal when we are busy with sports. The chihuahua cheese we’ve been using has cellulose.
any ideas??
Hi Tina. Look for an organic cheddar or organic cheddar jack that you shred yourself. The raw cheddar in this post is yummy. ~Amy
We have had a hard time with the switch from flavored yogurt to plain yogurt. I was so happy to find this article. I mixed maple syrup and vanilla extract into the yogurt and my whole family loved it!
I was just wondering if you usually buy or make your yogurt as well as bread.
Hi Stacey. I don’t believe that Lisa has made her own yogurt just yet but she often makes her own bread. We did feature a proofer not long ago: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/02/26/branch-basics-non-toxic-all-purpose-cleaner-special-deal/. And, here is one of our favorite everyday bread recipes: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/08/17/recipe-honey-whole-wheat-sandwich-bread-for-bread-machine/. Enjoy. ~Amy
Your reference to “voting with your dollars” made me think of this. There’s a new app called “buycott” which lets you trace the corporate origins of products that you buy. I just got it but it looks interesting. For instance, you may find that a company is financially backed by Monsanto or spend $$ to block GMO labeling. Thanks for helping people take ownership of what they use!