Cooking Healthier with Dairy!

Dairy makes everything better. What's chocolate without the milk? What's pasta sauce without the cream? What's pizza without the cheese? All of these delicious treats are at the top of people's temptation lists. But we all know that dairy is one of the main culprits of weight gain. And denying these treats altogether isn't the solution either. As we've learned, deprivation is the key to failure in any diet.

So how do we allow ourselves treats filled with dairy without adding on the pounds when we indulge? By substituting! Replacing full fat dairy with low and no-fat dairy options can easily cut calories and fat exponentially while retaining some of the taste. Certain types of cheese and milks can be replaced with healthier types as well. Instead of half-and-half in your coffee, opt for soy milk or skim milk. Instead of blue cheese crumbles on your salad, opt for fat-free feta. Instead of brick cheese with crackers, opt for a low fat dairy wedge. Use non-fat cottage cheese in your lasagnas instead of whole-milk ricotta. Try slices of soy-cheese on your sandwich instead of full-fat American slices.

There are plenty of ways of finding healthier dairy substitutions so you can retain taste and flavor without sacrificing your body!