Jews who keep kosher interpret the Old Testament instruction not to "seethe a kid in its mother's milk" as meaning that dairy and meat should not be eaten together. Although this restriction was for purely religious reasons, some people assume that eating meat and cheese together must be unhealthy. Looking at the saturated fat content in different meats and cheeses is a better way to evaluate whether combining these foods is healthy.
Saturated Fats
Saturated fats are solids at room temperatures. Eating a diet high in saturated fats is unhealthy because they increase cholesterol levels, which in turn increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. The American Heart Association recommends that saturated fats constitute no more than 7 percent of total calories eaten in a day. This means that total saturated fats should not exceed 16 g a day in a 2,000-calorie diet. A better way of thinking about the healthiness of combining meat and cheese involves looking at the saturated fat content of each one.
Healthy Meats
Two ounces of packaged sliced roast beef have 1 g of saturated fat. The same amount of beef cut from a Sunday roast, trimmed to 1/8 inch fat, has approximately the same amount of saturated fat. By way of comparison, the saturated fat in 2 ounces of grilled chicken is only 0.5 g. Combining chicken and cheese is healthier than combining roast beef and cheese.
Combining ham and cheese can be healthy if you purchase ham that is low in saturated fat. While a single slice of ham from the deli has 1 g of saturated fat, extra-lean ham has far less. Three slices of extra-lean ham have the same amount of saturated fat as a single slice of regular ham.
Healthy Cheeses
The saturated fat content of cheeses varies widely. While 1 ounce of cheddar cheese has 5.98 g saturated fat, 1 ounce of Swiss has 5.04 g and 1 ounce of Parmesan has 4.652 g. Ricotta made from skim milk has substantially less, with only 1.397 g in 1 ounce. Substituting cheeses that are lower in saturated fat when you cook dishes that mix meat and cheese is a good practice. For example, meat lasagna is healthier if you use more ricotta and Parmesan, and less mozzarella.
Low-Fat Cheeses
One ounce of low-fat cheddar or Colby has only 1.231 g saturated fat. One ounce of low-fat Swiss cheese has even less, with 0.496 g saturated fat. These low fat cheeses can be used to substitute for higher-fat cheeses to minimize the total amount of saturated fat in dishes that combine meat and cheese.
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