When I first learned that the whole low-fat campaign was pretty much a hoax I was absolutely shocked as well. For years I was right there on that bandwagon bingeing on everything from low-fat Snackwells cookies to fat-free flavored yogurt to low-fat ice cream. And as it turns out, according to Michael Pollan, “We’ve gotten fat on low-fat products.”
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Here’s a direct quote from Pollan’s book Food Rules that explains it all:
The forty-year-old campaign to create low-fat and nonfat versions of traditional foods has been a failure: We’ve gotten fat on low-fat products. Why? Because removing the fat from foods doesn’t necessarily make them nonfattening. Carbohydrates can also make you fat, and many low- and nonfat foods boost the sugars to make up for the loss of flavor … You’re better off eating the real thing in moderation than bingeing on “lite” food products packed with sugars and salt.
Another New York Times bestselling author, Mark Bittman, agrees in his book Food Matters. He says, “The low-fat craze caused millions, maybe tens of millions, of Americans actually to gain weight, because they were reaching for ‘low-fat’ but high-calorie carbs.” And right on cue directly from Pollan’s In Defense of Food:
At this point you’re probably saying to yourself, Hold on just a minute. Are you really saying the whole low-fat deal was bogus? But my supermarket is still packed with low-fat this and no-cholesterol that! My doctor is still on me about my cholesterol and telling me to switch to low-fat everything. I was flabbergasted at the news too, because no one in charge – not in government, not in the public health community – has dared to come out and announce: Um, you know everything we’ve been telling you for the last thirty years about the links between dietary fat and heart disease? And fat and cancer? And fat and fat? Well, this just in: It now appears that none of it was true. We sincerely regret the error.
So let’s put the low-fat craze behind us and move forward by embracing the right portions of real food and real food only. No more faked low-fat products where according to Pollan, “fats in things like sour cream and yogurt are replaced with hydrogenated oils” and “the cream in ‘whipped cream’ and ‘coffee creamer’ are replaced with corn starch.”
And just to be clear this applies to all reduced fat products, including milk. When the fat is removed from dairy products like milk some of the beneficial nutrients are lost with the fat as well. We just recently switched to whole milk ourselves, and I was honestly a little scared. I drank skim milk up until last year after all! But along with reducing our overall consumption of milk it has actually been a surprisingly smooth transition for us. And after learning the shocking truth behind what we’ve been told for so many years…I’ve never looked at another low-fat product the same again.
Lisa Jo says
I make my own homemade almond milk in my Vitamix blender. I add some sweetener and vanilla and it is delicious. My son and I use it in our smoothies, and my son (19) will also drink it all by itself. Working on changing the husband's attitudes :)
Amanda says
My gallbladder has decided that functioning properly isn't on its to do list. I am trying to avoid having it removed since I have an 8 month old and 2 other very active older children. I am on a VERY low fat diet right now, I am trying to keep it under 20g pery day. Any suggestions for what to do?? Thank you for the amazing inspiration on your blog!
100 Days of Real Food says
You definitely want to take your doctor's advice first! I don't know anything about gallbladders and what they need so I am not sure I can help you with that dilemma...good luck though.
Karla says
I had a similar situation - major gall bladder attack when my daughter was 6 weeks old (plus 3 big brothers), followed by several not so major ones any time I had fatty foods. When she was almost 3 months old, had the surgery and never looked back.
I was told that I might have a hard time eating full-fat foods, but the only thing that has ever bothered me since is corn on the cob. ??? I love Trader Joe's full-fat yogurt, but not a fan of whole milk. Like one of the other readers, I couldn't force it down as a kid and never developed a taste for it until I discovered skim milk as an adult. I still don't actually drink it - just use it on cereal.
2 adults/3 kids going to take this challenge!
Amy says
I had my gallbladder removed 5 years ago. While no surgery is truly "minor", it's a minimally invasive outpatient surgery, provided you don't have complications. I went in at 8:00 AM and was home by 2:30 PM that day. I was back to my normal self in less than a week. I had been having attacks for 2 months prior (most attacks resulting from eating fatty foods, some attacks random). While some people aren't like this after the surgery, I went back to my old self. I'm so glad I went ahead and got it over with. No attacks of any kind, and I can eat anything I want without getting sick. But just because I "can" doesn't mean I "do" eat anything, haha!
I have to wonder if I had made the switch to "real foods" (esp hormone free food - hormones have a drastic effect on gallbladder function) before, if I would have had gallbladder issues in the first place. Who knows, but I'm glad to be on a healthier journey now. Thanks for this great site! It's very informative as I work towards eating real, whole foods.
Aaron says
I'm a biology student. I'm not a gallbladder expert; I don't know what advice to give on that mater. But I do know that doctors often think they know everything: they don't. Experts disagree among themselves. There is usually someone equally qualified who will give you a different opinion. I'm on the same page with Amy: the sooner, the better as far as changing your diet. I've tried the low fat diets and the low/no carb thing, and from my own experience I think such extremes are unhealthy. I read ingredients and eat differently now and I feel better because of it. I believe in whole milk, whole grain, real natural foods. Some people may be born with an allergy or intolerance and that's unfortunate. That's a different matter. Thousands of years of healthy populations speak for themselves. If you think you can do better than Mother Nature, good luck....
Jenna says
My husbands family has all been the victims of gall bladder issues. After lots and lots of research, they all went gluten free and are so much better and got to keep their gall bladder. :-) My husband had his removed before they figured out what was causing it...and removing it doesn't solve everything. There are just newer issues to be had. Hope you've found something to help or feel better...its been a while but im new to this site and just thought I'd share from my family's experience in case you were still trying to find answers. Good luck to you!
Kate says
I was wondering what your thoughts are about plain Greek yogurt? It is non-fat but seems pretty healthy otherwise...we use it a lot for snacks and substituting in recipes.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Kate. I think plain Greek yogurt is great, but, you would be better off with a whole milk version. Having said that, I have not seen a whole milk greek yogurt. I have heard Trader Joe's carries one, but, I have not looked recently. Good luck and give us an update if you find a whole milk greek yogurt. Jill
Ashley says
Anyone have thoughts on Ice Cream, especially the 1/2 fat "double churned" ice cream which I'm sure they've added stuff too, but I also know you're basically paying for air.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Ashley. While I'm not familiar with the ice cream you refer to, I would suggest reading the ingredient label. My guess is that it probably doesn't follow the 5 ingredients or less rule. In addition, it sounds like it might be low fat. Our team does not suggest low-fat products as you probably read in the post you were looking at. Finally, you may enjoy making the ice cream yourself. Check out this ice cream maker that our team likes...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/my-kitchen-essentials/#tools. Jill
Amy says
Eeeek! I am going to give this a shot, but I must admit-I am freaking out about all the extra calories! I am trying to lose some weight.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Amy. You may also want to check out this post on milk (https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/08/12/milk-–-good-or-bad/) for some more perspective on the Week 6 Mini-Pledge. Good luck and give us an update if you think about it as to how it went. Jill
Julie says
We were drinking whole milk only, and then I switched back to skim- and lost more than a handful of pounds. I'm nervous about switching back b/c I don't want to put it back on! Has anyone else had any 'whole milk/ weight gain' experiences? This blog is helping us slowly transition our eating, and I do like whole milk better.... but I'm nervous!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Julie. Check out Lisa's post here on milk as well: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/frequently-asked-questions/. I know she and her family have tried to reduce their consumption since switching to whole milk. Best of luck. Jill
Sherry says
This assumes everyone who drinks not-whole milk only does so for the lower fat content, not because of the taste. I drink nonfat milk because I like the taste of it. Growing up, I would spend hours sitting at the dinner table, not allowed to leave until I finished my milk (whole milk). Once my mom brought home some nonfat milk and I never spent another minute staring at a glass of horrible white goo again. My (nonfat) milk glass was finished before I finished dinner. And sometimes I'd get a second glass. Whole milk is totally distasteful to me. I would rather give up milk completely than have to drink whole milk from now on.
Jen says
I completely agree Sherry! I don't like the creaminess of whole milk or the taste either. From what I've read here I believe drinking skim milk is fine as long as I'm also eating natural butter and cream.. I still get nutrients from both. Also, I'm a tea drinker with milk normally, but switched for a few months to coffee with cream and really felt the weight difference! I think this site has great suggestions, but these life changes need to be made according to how you normally eat. I avoid low fat & light everywhere else, but milk has to be skim for me.
Li says
I grew up drinking "raw Milk" we would buy it at the stable right out of the cow! When she got it home, my mother would bring it to a boil and quickly turn it off - as it cooled the fat would rise to the top and clump - she would skim it off and we would eat it as a topping for our bread or use it in soups such as carrot, pea or zucchini - it is delicious! In Spanish it is called nata- and the milk we drank warm - it is cold in Mexico City at night! It is still done that way to this day - when I visit my family they are still buying their milk from the dairy ranches near the city! In Europe it is also available - I believe the Welsh use the same process and call it clotted cream - and use it about the same. The beautiful thing about whole raw milk is that it makes great cheeses, and even when it sours because of its high fat content it still can be used. Look up Clabber, Creme Fraiche, yogurt cheese etc. etc. etc. Now that I live in a major city in the US it virtually impossible to find good milk - with all the subsidies you would think it would be easier!
Cara says
Just this evening I was buying butter--when I reached for the "light butter" version thinking I was doing a good thing, I was shocked at the ingredients list--
LIGHT BUTTER: Butter (Cream, Salt), Water*, Buttermilk*, Contains Less Than 2% of Food Starch-Modified*, Tapioca Maltodextrin*, Salt, Distilled Monoglycerides*, Lactic Acid*, Potassium Sorbate* and Sodium Benzoate* (Preservatives), PGPR* (emulsifier), Natural Flavor*, Xanthan Gum*, Vitamin A Palmitate*, Beta Carotene* (color). (*Ingredients not found in regular butter.)
The "regular" butter list of ingredients: Sweet Cream, Salt.
I sure know which I'd rather eat. I just always assumed that the fat was sucked out magically but everything was the same. I was wrong!
Tara says
The movie Forks over Knives will change your outlook on milk and meat in general. Vegan is the way. Good luck!
Meloney says
Yea for week 6!! We bought whole milk the other day so we are getting started. I'm going to check the fridge to see if there is anything else in there then we are set to go!! 2 adults, 3 children, for life!! :-)
Meg says
What are your thoughts about fat free half and half? I love to put it in my coffee. Do you think I would be better off just using a little bit of full cream?
100 Days of Real Food says
Yes, full cream would definitely be a better choice.
Meg says
Great! Thanks for the input!
Sally says
We are lucky to have a local farmer we are able to buy milk from. I was surprised how delicious it is and will have a hard time getting my family to go back to the store brand stuff. 2 adults 3 kids. We drink about a gallon of milk a day. Yeah I need to get a better job just to supply milk. Thinking about getting our own dairy cow. (we already raise beef cattle).
Jordan says
2 adults. I've been looking forward to this pledge! it's so nice to just enjoy the full flavor of foods and not worry about fat content anymore. we've been drinking 2% but officially started local non-homogenized whole milk today
Stephanie says
I have read some of the same books and never realized how fat the low fat/non-fat foods can be. I feel totally deceived! My family can easily conquor this week as the even our milk is full of fat...just the way we like it! When I first came across your blog I though this was going to be terribly hard, but we are already really good about reading labels and only eating selective small ingredient pre-made foods. Still working on refining, but we have made HUGE strides. Thanks for helping me stay confident and know I am doing the right thing for my family despite all the push back!
3 adults, 2 kids= 1 wk (and more)
Kathryn says
4 kiddos and two adults. Thanks for posting! We've been doing a lot of the whole milk stuff for the baby, but it's nice to know us adults can have the "good stuff" too!
Nica says
2 adults and 2 kids here. After reading david guilespie "sweet poison" i have tried to reduce our sugar and I have dropped most of our low fat dairy products however the milk has been the one thing I haven't changed. We drink reduced fat A2 but I shall try the full fat version.
Laura says
This one is great! We have recently done this in our family, we buy whole organic milk for our young son and decided to only buy whole milk for the whole family! No more low-fat anything in our home for this week and all the weeks to follow! Thanks for the great post!
Nicole says
With regards to cholesterol and low fat products, Dr. Ray Strand's book Healthy for Life is a must read! What's bad about Greek yogurt? I've been drinking unsweetened coconut milk but my family still drinks 2 percent organic. I knew about low fat not being good but never equated that to milk for some reason. Will have to think about that!
Karen says
There are 2 adults here and we are in. I do eat the Yoplait fat free yogurt and we drink fat free milk. I will change those products for the week and maybe for good!
Cheryl says
What are your thoughts on almond milk?
100 Days of Real Food says
I think it's fine if it's unsweetened and has no more than 5 or 6 ingredients....
Kathleen says
Ok, I'm confused. In the "Little House" books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Laura describes the process her mother went through of skimming the cream off the top of the milk and using it to make butter. I have always thought that "skim" milk, made that way, was the natural way to drink milk. In order for the the fat to be in the milk, the milk needs to be homogenized, right? Isn't that processing it beyond its natural state? If you drink the milk that's been skimmed and eat the butter made from the cream, isn't that better than drinking homogenized milk? Also, is it possible to buy milk that has simply had the cream skimmed off or does all the skim milk on the market contain the powdered milk solids you mentioned?
Dawn says
Kathleen,
The difference is that they still consumed the fat, and they didn't remove all of it, just the easy part. And no, homogenized is not natural at all. In fact, under high pressure, the fat is broken into tiny bits and forced to mix in with the milk (feel free to Google for a better explanation). Real foodists suggest RAW, NON-HOMOGENIZED milk. Now, I don't feel the benefits of raw outweigh the risks. However, there is no risk to not homogenizing the milk, which is good, because from all I've read, that seems to be the more important of the two. You just have to get used to bits of milk fat floating around. We get our milk in glass bottles, and the fat is on top. Sometimes we scoop the fat "plug" out of the top of the bottle and use it for something, but often we just push it down into the milk and give the bottle a quick shake. The kids get really excited if they get the large chunk. It used to gross me out, but a) I've gotten used to it, and b) all the reading I've done on traditional foods (try Nourishing Traditions) has convinced me that it is a good thing. We've been drinking whole milk for over a year (we also used to use canola oil, and now use animal fats, olive oil, or coconut oil, and I am a 20 year vegetarian, so I don't say that lightly), and no one here has gained any weight during that time, in fact, up until then I HAD been steadily gaining and that stopped. I am becoming more and more convinced that all this low-fat and processed fat is causing us to crave the wrong fats, and causing our bodies to crave unhealthy things in search of the missing minerals normally found in natural fats. When we eat "real" fats, the cravings disappear. Thanks for the post, Lisa!
100 Days of Real Food says
We buy whole non-homogenized milk that has the cream at the top. We have to shake it up before we drink it. The way big manufacturers make "skim" milk is not exactly the same as what you are describing.
Joy says
Hi, what is the brand name of whole milk that you get from Earth Fare? I'm hoping the one in Auburn, AL will carry it. Thanks
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Joy! Lisa gets her milk from a home delivery service, Lakeview Farms, that partners with Homestead Creamery, a small dairy in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains (Homestead Creamery also sells their milk at Earthfare here in Charlotte). Check out her post on milk here https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/08/12/milk-–-good-or-bad/. You may be able to find a similar service in your area. Good luck!
Jennelle says
I'm in! Been wanting to do one of these since started following your blog. This one seems like it might be a good way to get our feet wet as we already buy some full-fat dairy, but I'll need to switch to whole milk.
2 adults and we'll do it for the week.
jennifer says
2 adults 3 kids. We will do it for atleast week. Anxious to see if the consumption goes down because whole milk is more filling. Skim milk is our only low fat product so this shouldn't be too hard I hope.
Jasmyn says
This is the easiest one yet! We already do this and have for over 10 years (since I moved out of my parents' house and started buying my own food). It never made sense to me to eat "alternative" food.
Jessica says
I have noticed that since switching to whole milk I am not nearly as hungry as I was before. I don't drink as much milk because 1 cup of whole milk satisfies me way more then 2 cups of skim. My husband is harder to convince. He thinks I am going through a health food phase but so far I feel better, I am not nearly as hungry or as tired as I used to be. I eat what I want and everything I make using whole foods tastes way better and I don't feel the need to eat nearly as much of it as before. My cravings for food and sugar are pretty much gone which is new to me. If this is a phase I want to stick with it forever! Love your site!
Wendi @ A Southern Yogi says
Thank you Lawd someone is talking about this!! When people drink skim milk, it drives me nuts, lol!!! I think that the myths of the diet industry are so ingrained in all of us that people just refuse to believe it. They'd rather eat low cal snackwell's cookies and drink skim milk than eat whole milk yogurt. I hope that as we continue to write about this - people's ideas will change. but I also think that the diet industry has a vested interest in keeping us unhealthy and heavier.
Lesley says
I am reading "In Defense Of Food," and finding myself reading lines over and over. Brilliant! I have long suspected lowfat, fat free and the like were no good, but could not put into words why. I have always used real butter, and steer away from anything fat-free. So this household of 5 (2 adults, 3 children) is on board, no low-fat, non-fat here! So thankful to have come across your site. We are getting there in terms of whole foods all the time, sometimes it feels like I am trying to turn the Titanic. But a lifetime of habits takes a while to break, one step at a time. So again, thank you for your encouragement and support and leadership in this area. It is HUGE!
Megan says
Me and my Fiance are trying to get ourselvs off of the unhealthy habit of processed foods and have already switched a ton of things and gotten rid of our microwave. :) i have never liked low-fat or "non-fat" foods because i grew up in a household where its ok to eat whole fat cheese or ice cream as long as its in moderation and its as close to home made as you can get it. but maybe with this post i can convince him to give up on the diet sodas and low fat yogurts :) thanks so much!
Julie says
I love yogurt but went without it for months because I couldn't find any "healthy" yogurt. Then I found NOOSA and my life changed. Seriously, I could eat it 3x a day! It's tough to find but worth the look.
Cindy says
Wondering about Soy milk? I dont like the taste of regular milk. Would appreciate some feed back on this.
100 Days of Real Food says
I think it's okay if it's unsweetened and doesn't contain too many ingredients, but I would also consider unsweetened coconut and almond milk as well...in fact those could be even better because there are already so many soy additives in packaged foods
Judy says
Hi, my husband has ulcerative colitis so we have been eating so much better for a while, but still suffer from occasional binging on not so good food. Hoping following your meal plan will help us stay the course. One question. He loves dairy, but has a problem with it. We have switched to lactose intolerant milk and limited cheese to occassional. Doe you see this as an issue with your diet plan?
100 Days of Real Food says
As long as the dairy alternatives don't have added sweetener (and meet the 5 or less ingredient rule) it's not a problem at all!
Marie says
What a fantastic blog! We have gone through everything you have in the last few years and I also have hypoglycemia which has helped prompt us on this journey. We have 2 kids too. Our current milk solution- in an effort to get more alkaline foods in our bodies in the beginning, we started drinking almond milk. We buy 50 pounds of unpasteurized almonds at a time and make almond milk every few days. (It's really easy! Anyone with a blendtech and an extra 10 minutes can do it.) And it has helped us save money. Also, we don't eat any butter at all anymore,(unless we see the organic half off) we just use Nutiva coconut oil for everything. BUT now I am wondering-- do we need to get some dairy? It appears almonds have all the awesomeness of milk, but I am still wondering if our little girls might be missing something. I grew up on a half gallon of whole milk a day, I loved it! But now we would buy ORGANIC whole milk if we did buy it, and I see you didn't mention that in your post-- or is that a given? Any thoughts on this? Thanks for a great website, I can't wait to explore it further.
100 Days of Real Food says
Eating dairy is a personal choice...there are plenty of vegans out there who don't eat dairy and seem to make up for it with other things.
Todd says
If you're concerned about your diet, cholesterol, high BP, weight, then check out this Dr. in Palm Springs. My father recently saw him. His book is a 5-star on Amazon. He makes complete sense. No need to wonder, in my opinion, on what to eat:
http://www.drgundry.com/dr-gundry-american-health-journal/
Kerry James says
What about if you have high cholesterol? Most MD's would probably not recommend you switch to whole milk products. I have read "In Defense of Food," but this is one concept I struggle with and need to research more.
100 Days of Real Food says
I would definitely take your doctor's advice over anything else if you have a medical condition!
Phaedra Wilkinson says
You give so much information and I agree with so much of it. While we are getting healthier and healthier with what we eat, I struggle with low fat dairy. I started my journey with Diet Solution where the founder believes in Raw Dairy. We went to organic skim, and it tasted awful. I finally moved us to organic 2% and milk was enjoyable again, but everybody has different bodies and different motabalisims....and I can guarantee you if I went to full fat dairy I would blow up...at 6ft and 230 pounds I'm already far from the 160 I should be despite eating healthy food and walking many miles a week when I can (had a foot injury). I already felt guilty for 2% and full fat cheese this last shopping trip and cut us back...along with throwing all our sugar that I felt was used in moderation away...we eat chobani greek yogurt and use it in our smoothies...I can't imagine going full fat there either. I'm will need to do more thinking on this one.
Jennie says
I gained, through inattentive eating, 25 pounds since last May. I can't switch to full-fat milk, but I can find out about lowfat milks at Trader Joe's. I wrote them to ask if they add powdered milk or milk solids to their lowfat and nonfat milks. Here's what they responded:
"Despite it not being a legal requirement yet (and something that most companies don't do), Trader Joe's is fully committed to disclosing if there are any milk solids or powdered milk present in our milk. If there are, it will be clearly stated on the lable. Thus, if all you see on the label is "milk," that this is al lthe product contains. California has some of the most stringent dairy regulations in the country, and because we are a California- based company, we always follow suit."
Good to know.
Amy says
I have read about this as well. I have switched from skim milk to 1% (baby steps). My boys, 17 & 15 and drink a lot of milk everyday and moderation (as much as I nag) is not in there vocabulary. They are super active and play in many sports. What do you suggest? Am I being naive? How much whole milk is too much?
100 Days of Real Food says
We allow our girls one glass of milk per day plus milk in their cereal. We also eat some cheese and yogurt as well. We used to let them drink milk all day long, but after reading the book Food Matters (by Mark Bittman) we decided to cut back a little.
Carolyn says
We have converted to Happy Cow Milk. It local to upstate SC.
I think the dairy farm is in Pelzer and they have a really cool website, they very minimally pasteurize their milk. They also have a lot of info as to why tey do what try do :) I was a skim all the way girl until I read up on it and this mil is sooooo yummy! I am new to your website, but so far I am hooked with all the great ideas and looking forward to practicing them :)
Tara says
2 adults & 2 kids