The only thing I can possibly think of is oatmeal, it's not bad with 1% milk.

Did he give his taste buds some tome to adjust? It took me about 10 days to get used to using skimmed milk (2% fat) in my cereal. Now full fat milk tastes too creamy to me.

Would non-dairy coffee creamer be a possible substitute? Coffee-mate is cholesterol free. -Grainlady

He really does need to just get used to the reduced fat or non fat milk. It's a 'Just Do It' 'Get over it" kinda thing. I have heart disease in my family, and although I'm very fit and not overweight, I have moderately high cholesterol, so I'm very conscientious about these things.

I have non-fat or 1% in my cold cereal and oatmeal. On the very rare occasion I have regular milk, it tastes like a milkshake cause I'm so not used it! LOL.

Personally, I would stay away from any chemical-based milk substitutes. But that's just my preference.

Bonnie

I second Grainlady's suggestion. I use Coffee Mate or Mocha Mix in cereal too. I'm lactose intolerant, and hate the taste of regular forms of milk to start with. However, my husband has been using "Silk" brand soy milk for the last couple of years (he's watching cholesterol too). He uses the vanilla flavored version for his cereal (and sometimes even the chocolate version). I've seen that "Silk" also produces a creamer version too.

I think it's a combination of taste & texture that your husband's dealing with. I've used the fat free half & half too. I didn't mind the taste as much as the thin, watery feel to it. I won't use the fat free version of Mocha Mix for that same reason. I know that Mocha Mix produces a middle-of-the-road "lite" version too; I've used it before and liked it. But none of the local supermarkets here carry it, so I buy the original version.

Here is a link that might be useful: Silk Creamers

You didn't mention what kind of cereal. I have really come to like high fiber, low fat granola and love to mix it with Fage Total non-fat yogurt. I sprinkle it with cinnamon, sometimes dice half of an apple in it - let it sit for a couple of minutes and it's wonderful. Some honey also tastes great. No need for milk.

I am not sure if its available in your area, but Hood Simply Smart Milk is fat free milk that actually tastes good. They have some kind of ultra filtration process that removes some of the liquid. A big plus for me, is that it lasts much longer than other skim milk (the lower the fat content, the quicker dairy products spoil). It only comes in half gallons and I live by myself - it stays good for several weeks. I dont know if Hood is a regional dairy, but other companies have started to make similar products.

I agree with some of the other posters, if he gives it time, he will get used to it (I had the hardest time going from 1% to fat-free milk, but I did make the transition).

If he really hates normal fat-free milk, there are often containers of fat-free milk that are touted as having the taste/body/creaminess of whole milk. The companies might do what mattie mentioned, or have other processes they utilize to get that full fat taste in a fat-free product.

It definitely takes time to get used to lower fat milk. I would give soy or rice milk a try though, the vanilla flavor has a nice sweet flavor he might like, it makes it seem more indulgent. And some brands now off added fiber or omega 3 fatty acids to make them even healthier. Make sure you check the labels, some brands are higher in fat than others.

And here is a tip from trying to get my husband to eat healthier. Don't tell him what he is eating! If he does not know it is lower in fat or better for him he might not even notice the difference. Of course, even an incredibly oblivious guy is going to notice the difference between low fat milk and half and half! Just do your best, if you let him have his way he probably won't eat much healthier than before.

The way I switched from whole milk to 2%, was to mix the two together and gradually reduce the amount of whole milk until I was just drinking the 2%.

Might be worth a try.

Lynn

I also switched to skim milk from whole milk. I grew up drinking milk fresh from the cow. We'd put it in the fridge and the cream would rise to the top, we'd just shake it in and drink it. Frankly, it was a lot like half and half!

Dad's heart attacks and other problems, combined with my own high cholesterol, convinced me that I needed a change. It took me at least a month to get used to 2%, then another month or so to get used to skim. But heck, it took me 6 months to learn to drink Diet Coke and then the dentist told me it was bad for my teeth, so whatcha gonna do? LOL

I personally detest soy milk, flavored or not. Your husband might give them a try but if he doesn't like them, I don't think there really IS a substitute for half and half.

Annie

Look for organic milk, Donna. We use Horizon Organic 1%, and even extended family who drink whole "regular" like it better. My store carries 2%, 1% and fat free in addition to whole organic milk. Maybe you could start with the whole version for a few days, then wean him down to the 2%.

It's expensive, but in my opinion, it's more than worth the money.

Can he have low/no fat yogurt? In Europe a lot of folks eat their musli with yogurt. I liked it so much that I brought the idea home and frequently eat a thin yogurt on my high fiber cereal... I like the vanilla flavor best.

If you have Trader Joes -- their yogurt with the cow on the front is pourable and is what I use.

I sometimes use low-fat yogurt (unsweetened) with my granola, and I sweeten it with a bit of Splenda or Equal. Also I have lactose problems, I don't seem to have a problem with yogurt. Normally, however, I use Silk brand Soy milk with my granola, and I buy the unsweetened version of that as well. Try giving him soy milk for a while - after a week of that, he might really enjoy low-fat milk, although I actually like soy milk now. They've made some improvement in it in the last few years. He's going to have to go cold turkey - just make sure you have no cream or half and half in the house. There are much worse things to have to deal with. He should be happy he can have milk at all! (not to sound cruel) Maybe he should try switching the type of cereal he his having. I frequently have grits (on cold days), but I've never developed a taste for oatmeal.

Lars

Well I can understand your husband not liking the alternative. one percent and skim milk are both awful. And I don't necessarily agree with the advice that he needs to get use to it or that he will get use to it. He might very well not get use to it and if he doesn't like the taste than why bother? I don't like milk so I've never eaten cereal of any kind. Not even as a child. My suggestion would be to try and find another breakfast food that he likes and is allowed in his diet but doesn't need the addition of cream or milk.

Ann

I'm with you, Ann. I never liked cold milk & dry cereal when I was a kid. And I didn't like sweet things for breakfast either. Pancakes & waffles never appealed to me. My mom always made something savory for my breakfast on school days.

I'm also not a fan of the "just get used to it" club. There's a danger that the sense of deprivation will be so strong that it will eventually undermine any efforts to improve the diet -- all motivation will be lost. I think it's really important, when someone is on a restricted diet of some kind, to find foods that the person really enjoys AND are within the limitations. I think the idea of finding other breakfast foods that your husband can enjoy is a good one. I'm speaking from experience because my husband is on a sodium-restricted diet. Believe me, I work my tail off coming up with tasty low salt versions of the salt laden foods he used to enjoy. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to stand such a limited diet.

Making the switch from half & half to skim milk is probably too drastic. Perhaps just going down one notch to whole milk for a while might be helpful. As others have suggested, a slow & gradual change might be best. Then go down to 2%. That might be a far as you can take it. Once you get below 2% milk, you lose a lot of flavor & texture.

I personally have done extremely well with the "get used to it" approach, although it might not work for everyone. I had a roommate in San Francisco who hated salt, and so I started eating food with no salt and actually preferred it after a while. Deprivation does not always lead to craving - at least it did not for me. BTW, I've never liked pancakes or waffles with anything sweet on them - I eat them plain.

There is no one approach that will work for everyone. I think that switching to a completely different breakfast food is perhaps the best way to start. Then if you want to go back to cereal, you can try it with a different type of milk.

I almost saw a morning news show on The History of Breakfast this morning.

Lars

I think your taste buds definitely can be trained if you want to. I've done it many times. In college when I switched from regular soda to diet and never looked back. I had never had a diet soda until then and since then, I have never wanted a regular soda. It's like drinking syrup to me now.
Later, in my twenties, I went from 2% milk to skim and did that for years. I drank cremora in my coffee. In my forties, I cut out salt and now can barely tolerate most restaurant food and don't miss the salt at all.
On the downside, I have also trained my taste buds to like gourmet food too! So a lot of the food I used to find acceptable and tasty is now yucky.
I think you really do get used to things if you make the mental choice to do so. I do use half and half in my coffee now but I only drink a mug a day so it's not tremendous.

I certainly understand the "just get used to it" philosophy, but I really sympathize with heart patients. They're usually put on a low salt AND low fat diet. I think that's a tough bill to fill. Lean deli meats for sandwiches are out because of the salt, as is much Asian food because of the soy sauce or fish sauce. Almost everything has to be home made from scratch, including sausage for breakfasts & Italian dishes. Try making tasty & appealing salt-free AND low fat white sauces, spaghetti sauces, & gravies. Those are just a few examples. It's a constant balancing act, not particularly easy for the cook.

I know taste buds can be trained and can change. But I believe it's important to find healthy, wholesome alternative foods that the person enjoys. As Lars said, no one approach will work for everyone. And the patient needs to have a say in what he will or will not accept.

Well said Shambo and hugs for the cook of a heart patient!

DonnaR/CA, years ago we tried switching from whole milk to 1 % and I just couldn't handle the look of low fat milk on my cereal, milk is supposed to be opaque white not see through blue... The first thing I did was to add a tiny bit of 1/2 & 1/2 with the 1 %, just enough to make it look like 'real' milk... By the time I was through I was using more 1/2 & 1/2 than 1 % milk and ingesting more milk fat than contained in whole milk... I gave up and forced myself to use 2 % and occasionally bought whole milk... Now I don't dare buy whole milk because of hubby's strokes and heart attack...

We've settled on 2 % and I severely limit hubby's intake ( he only has cereal once a week and has juice with his meals )... But for the times I really want 'real' milk, like on oatmeal, I add enough non-fat dry milk to give the appearance of whole milk...

Perhaps the non-fat dry milk and skim milk will work for your hubby... Just make sure to add up the sodium and make allowances in the rest of his 'diet'.

Rita