Q:What is better, regular or fat free half and half?
A:
The answer really lies in weighing the pros and cons. I will outline the differences and let you decide.
Regular half-and-half has about 40 calories per serving, while fat free has 20. If you are using a small amount of half-and-half daily, you may want to choose the regular variety due to the additives in fat free. Generally, when the fat is removed from a product (like fat free half-and-half), it is replaced by something .usually sugar. Fat free half-and-half is no exception. The first 3 ingredients in fat free are skim milk, corn syrup, and cream. Regular half-and-half contains milk and cream. Both types CAN contain added ingredients, so read your labels carefully.
Fat free half-and-half also contains cargeenan, which is added to low fat foods to add creaminess. Here is an eye-opening article by Dr. Andrew Weil on this additive. CLICK HERE to view the article.
Eating real foods in moderation is always a better option than lab-created ones, but you should examine the role of calories as well. If you are going to choose a full calorie option like this one, it is important to look at another place in your diet that you can cut a few calories if your goal is weight loss. Also consider that eating a great deal of processed foods can get in the way of weight loss, regardless of the caloric benefit by putting excess stress on the liver.