There are no exceptions to this rule. Some prefer to go to 1-percent or 2-percent, but if you are serious about losing weight, cutting fat and being healthier overall, the best way is to go totally skim - forever. Get used to it and make it a lifestyle habit. Whenever a diet calls for milk, use skim. Drink skim, cook with skim and bake with skim. The fat and calories you save yourself would astound you. In cooked and baked goods, it is very difficult to tell the difference. If the milk does not seem thick enough to you, you can add some non-fat dry milk powder or use fat free sweetened evaporated skim milk. In addition, you can substitute evaporated skim milk for whipping cream in homemade ice cream to cut the fat and keep the creamy taste.
Evaporated and/or condensed milk:
When a recipe calls for evaporated or condensed milk, be it baking or cooking, always, ALWAYS buy the skim varieties. Once again, no exceptions to this rule.
Cheese:
Always purchase reduced or non-fat cheese. Again, there are no exceptions. Use it in all you are baking and cooking. The non-fat or reduced fat cheese on the market today is far superior to what it once was. Many shredded varieties are available allowing you to use a flavorful variety in all your cooking and baking needs. Cheese adds so much to so many dishes and many think they must give it up entirely. No, you need not! Just be sensible and learn to enjoy the light and/or non-fat versions. Now available is fat free Parmesan to put on your spaghetti and other pasta dishes or to sprinkle on garlic breads. Chances are you will not even notice the difference! You can make tasty, gooey pizza with the non-fat or light shredded mozzarella, lasagna with non-fat ricotta and mozarella - the possibilities are endless - and tasty!
