The Skinny on Cream Cheese

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The Skinny on Cream Cheese

Substituting light or fat free cream cheese in recipes is a great weight loss tip. You can use whipped, light or fat free cream cheese in cheesecakes or other recipes without even tasting a difference. By using alternatives to regular cream cheese you can successfully see weight loss results without losing flavor.

Calories in Cream Cheese

To understand how choosing the best cream cheese can help you with your weight loss, you should understand the calories and fat content in cream cheese:

Fat free cream cheese obviously has 0 fat grams and only 14 calories in one tablespoon
One tablespoon of whipped cream cheese has 35 calories and 3 1/2 of fat
In one tablespoon of light Philadelphia cream cheese, there are 60 calories and 4 1/2 grams of fat
Regular cream cheese is the worst with 100 calories and 9 grams of fat

Neufchatel Cheese

Neufchatel cheese tastes just like cream cheese, but it is also a poor choice when pursuing weight loss. One ounce of this spreadable cheese renders 74 calories and contains over 6 grams of fat. Do not substitute cream cheese with Neufchatel cheese thinking you are eating something healthier than regular cream cheese.

Fat Free Cheesecake

If you love cheesecake, but are working towards a weight loss goal, there is a delicious way to make cheesecake using fat free cream cheese. By using:

3 packages of fat free cream cheese
3/4 cups of sugar
3 eggs
1/3 cup of low fat graham crackers

… you can create a delicious, healthy dessert. For added weight loss benefit, substitute the sugar with Splenda and use only egg whites.

Fat Free Salsa Dip

You can even make dips with fat free cream cheese. Your dip is full of flavor but not in fat! Try mixing salsa with fat free cream cheese. The result is a delicious, healthy dip that is completely fat free. Salsa, especially home made, is full of vegetables and flavor and is said to even boost your metabolism because of the spices.

The next time you are using cream cheese, remember the weight loss tip that light, whipped or fat free cream cheese is a great way to get that cream cheese flavor without the high fat content.

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