A few things make our hearts (and stomachs) sing just like cheese. Although it is a great source of calcium and protein, certain types can be super high in saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends that adults consume two to three servings a day of fat-free or low-fat dairy products (ideally those containing no more than 3 grams of fat and 2 grams of saturated fat per ounce). So, what cheese does the slice make? Here are nine options to look for when shopping for the healthiest cheeses.
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Don’t beat it, this is a reason a healthy snack for a reason. A serving of a half cup of cottage cheese has 13 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat (of which only 2 is saturated) and 9 percent of your daily calcium. And you can opt for fat-free cottage cheese, if you want to save an extra 30 calories per serving. The only downside? Both types are high in sodium, containing 17 percent of your daily intake. But compared to some other cheeses, this is completely manageable, especially if you are working it out on an otherwise healthy diet. Try cottage cheese on toast, with fresh fruit when mixed in oatmeal.
Use it: Sourdough with Whipped Cottage Cheese and Raspberry Chia Jam
A solid rule of thumb is to remove articles containing ‘cheese products’, which are processed with artificial ingredients and hydrogenated oils. Natural cheeses, such as ricotta, are free of these added fats. Whole milk ricotta costs you about 215 calories per half cup, as well as 16 grams of fat (of which 10 are saturated), 14 grams of protein and more than a quarter of your daily recommended calcium. So, if you are shopping with health in mind, then go for part-skim ricotta; it saves you 6 grams of total fat and about 45 calories. Skimricotta has an even higher calcium count and can add you up to 34 percent of the recommended daily amount – in one serving. Plus, ricotta is versatile enough to garnish with crostini, fried eggs or salad, but nothing is a ricotta-coast pasta dish.
Use it: Salami, Artichoke and Ricotta Pasta salad
Fresh cheese has a low sodium content because it does not require as much aging as hard cheese. An une fresh mozzarella (the wet kind you normally see in places like balls at the grocery store) contains only 84 calories, 6 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat and 6 grams of protein. It’s not super high in lime, at 14 percent of your daily recommended intake, but the lean qualities make up for it. (PS, blue cheese is one of the most calcium-rich of all cheeses, but it is also higher in calories and fat.) A quarter cup of shredded mozzarella has about the same numbers as fresh, but you can get yourself some fat save and calories by buying for mozzarella with partial skim as reduced fat.
Use it: Pan Con Tomato and Mozzarella Bake
The Mediterranean diet would not be complete without a few chunks of Greece’s most famous cheese. Traditionally, feta is a brined curd cheese (which is why it is so salty and dirty) made from sheep’s milk, but you can also find goat or cabbage varieties at the supermarket. It is super low-calorie, compared to some other cheeses at 75 calories per ounce. However, it is lower in protein than mozz with 4 grams per serving, but equivalent in terms of fat and calcium. We love feta over salad, on a charcuterie board next to some olives or on a juicy grilled burger.
Use it: Baked feta with dill, capers and citrus
It’s the best friend of your Deli sandwich and an ooey-gooey option for fondue. This mild cheese made from milk is useful and vaguely sweet. Of course, Swiss is famous for its signature holes (eyes, if you are fancy), which are the result of carbon dioxide being released during the ripening process. Because it is a hard cheese, it is slightly higher in fat and protein than the fresh cheeses on our list: When served with one ounce, Swiss cloves in at 108 calories, 8 grams fat (5 saturated), 8 grams protein and 22 percent of your daily calcium. Your teeth and bones will thank you.
Use it: Gruyère and Swiss Fondue
This Italian pick is a lukewarm cheese made with full-fat cow’s milk, though you can probably find a light provolone at your local grocery store. Nutrition is very similar to Swiss, but with one less gram of protein per ounce and about 10 fewer calories. It is foremost for pizza topping and is a great filler for sandwiches, wraps and antipasto platters. Provolone is aged for at least four months before it hits the shelves, so it is packed with more salt than many fresh and soft cheeses. One ounce has 10 percent of your daily sodium (while Swiss only have 1).
Use it: The White Pizza of Cheater with Béchamel Sauce
Whether you’re snacking on an ounce block of parmesan as a snack or sprinkling a quarter cup of grated over vegetables, you really can’t go wrong. This salty topper is basically required for any pasta, pizza and Caesar salad, and complements sour as well as rich sauces beautifully with a punch of salt and seaweed. Parmesan is a hard cow’s milk, with more salt than our other peaks at 16 percent of your daily sodium per serving, as well as 7 grams of fat. On the plus side, it has 10 grams of protein and only 112 calories per ounce. So, as long as you stick to the recommended amount (and only go ham), you do not have to sweat it out.
Use it: Zucchini salad with lemon and Parmesan
Cheeses with reduced fat, also marked as light or low-fat, are made with partially dyed milk, which saves you in the fat and calorie sections. They’re a fun way to fix your cheese without throwing your usual diet completely out the window – as long as no foreign ingredients, oils or extra salt are added, Cleveland Clinic notes. In short, cheddar is bae. But the regular kind is pretty high in fat (we’re talking 27 percent of your daily saturated fat and 10 total grams of fat per serving). Go for the light version instead and you are looking for 88 calories, 6 grams of fat, 8 grams of protein and 22 percent of your daily calcium per one ounce piece. Cheddar is great on eggs, burgers and just about any sandwich on earth – but the career highlight in our book is when it makes a melted appearance in macaroni and cheese.
Use it: One-pot Mac and cheese
Did you know that some people find it easier to digest goat’s milk than cows’? This is because it is lower in lactose. This salty, off-tangy number does so much more than top salad (though nothing paired with dried cranberries, pecans, spinach and a maple vinaigrette better than this guy). Creamy pastas are a no-brainer, as are burgers and jam-slathered bread. You can also bake medals or balls of goat cheese or fry, if you have some comfort food. It is caloric at the same time with feta plus an extra gram of protein per unce (5 grams total). It can hold its own with the rest of our picks, thanks to a modest 6 grams of total fat and a low sodium percentage. The only con: Goat cheese does not have as much lime as other cheeses, and provides you with only about 4 to 8 percent of what you need to consume in a day.
Use it: Goat cheese pasta with spinach and artichokes
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