Frequently Asked Questions
By Althea Zanecosky, MS, RD, LDN
Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association
September 2007
Q: What is fat-free half-and-half?
Fat-free half-and-half looks and tastes like traditional half-and-half, but it is a dairy product that is made mostly of skim milk instead of half cream and half whole milk. Fat adds “body” to a food like milk so carrageenan, a natural thickener, is added to fat-free half-and-half for texture.
For those people who want to enjoy the flavor of dairy but need to lower fat and/or calorie intake, fat-free half-and-half can be a useful product. Two tablespoons of regular half-and-half provide 40 calories and three grams of fat, while the same amount of fat-free contains 20 calories and no fat. Changing from regular to fat-free half-and -half in just one cup of coffee every day for one year would save about 1,100 grams of fat, the amount in 12 sticks of butter! And the calorie savings for one year would amount to 7,300, or more than two pounds of weight loss!
Because it has more body, fat-free half-and-half works better than lowfat or nonfat milk in recipes like turkey tetrazzini, shrimp bisque or other recipes usually made with cream. A typical fettuccine Alfredo recipe could easily call for a one-quarter cup of heavy cream per serving — that’s 22 grams of fat (not including the butter or Parmesan cheese). With fat-free half-and-half, those fat numbers drop to zero without losing the flavor. This product also works well in cream soups, clam chowder, bread pudding and mashed potatoes.
But sometimes fat-free half-and-half is not the best choice. Fat adds moisture, flakiness, flavor and aroma to baked products. If a recipe for baked goods has another fat source, substituting fat-free half-and-half should work. But if the baked product uses only half-and-half as its fat source, it will not turn out well. For example, a biscuit recipe that does not contain any or only a tablespoon or two of butter or margarine will be dry and flavorless.
For more information about half-and-half and other dairy products, visit www.nationaldairycouncil.org.Do you have a dairy nutrition question you would like to see answered in a future FAQ column?
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