Good and Bad Dairy Products: Which Foods to Avoid for Weight Loss

Good and Bad Dairy Products: Which Foods to Avoid for Weight Loss : The debate about whether dairy foods are good or bad for you has been ongoing for years. There are studies to support each of these opinions. The side of dairy health benefits seems to be winning, according to the latest research published in The Lancet, Food & Nutrition Research, and The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

However, it’s essential to understand that dairy products aren’t the same. Some of them contain additives that make them downright harmful to your health and/or weight loss plans.

Best Dairy Foods for Weight Loss and Health

Milk
Greek yogurt
Cottage cheese
Homemade yogurt
Cheeses (in small amounts due to high fat content)

Dairy foods are highly satiating because of the animal fats and proteins they contain. They also provide you with many different nutrients, including calcium. This high nutritional value is the reason why some types of dairy are always included in weight loss programs. This even includes short-term highly intensive ones, like the 14-day diet plan for weight loss. Eating dairy is an important part of it because it helps you meet the overall nutritional requirements of a healthy diet. This also helps with appetite control, which is essential for an effective weight loss diet.

However, you should bear in mind that all the foods on this list, and in your diet, should be as natural as possible. This means choosing full-fat varieties, preferably organic. As these types of dairy foods are higher in calories, you’ll need to plan your meals carefully so as not to overeat. Get your dairy fix in the morning to use the satiation effect to manage hunger before lunch. This type of food is also good for a pre or post-workout snack due to proteins.

Worst Dairy Foods for Weight Loss and Health

Flavored yogurts
Low and no-fat products

It may seem counterintuitive that low and no-fat dairy products are actually bad for weight loss. This is a complicated matter because from the fat-burning point of view, they aren’t bad. It’s true that they contain a lot less fat, which makes it possible for you to include them in a low-fat diet.

However, the techniques used to process these foods and remove those extra fats, result in a higher sugar and sodium content. This is what makes those products much less healthy dairy products overall. As negative effects of sodium and sugar on health exceed the issue of fat in a well-balanced healthy diet, the choice is easy to make.

Fats from the ‘natural’ dairy are a big part of what makes the foods so satiating. Therefore, your weight loss plan won’t lose much by choosing full-fat over low-fat. And your general health will benefit, so you’ll be able to achieve your fitness goals faster.

Flavored yogurts, regardless of their fat content, have too much sugar. Any dairy product contains quite a bit of natural sugars. Therefore, adding more makes even the best of these foods less healthy. Keep this in mind and choose only the most natural foods you can find.

Overall, including dairy into your weight loss diet is a matter of personal preference. If you aren’t lactose-intolerant and love dairy, feel free to eat it daily. However, don’t forget that you need to limit your intake to 1-2 servings due to the overall high calorie count. This food should be a part of a healthy and well-balanced diet, not your daily indulgence in excess fats.