Many people seem to have a love-hate relationship with cheese, especially when they are trying to lose weight or simply eat a healthier diet. Fortunately, with a little care and moderation, you actually can enjoy some cheese without blowing your diet. As is the case with many otherwise nutritious foods, excess in anything -- including cheese -- can be harmful.
Cheese Consumption
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, most Americans simply eat far too much cheese -- especially the highest fat types of cheese. This fat and calorie content is overwhelming the beneficial protein, calcium and other nutrients found in the cheese. The Center recommends that you limit yourself to no more than 2 oz. of cheese per week, if you eat ordinary, high-fat cheeses.
Skim Milk Cheeses
Many popular hard cheeses, such as cheddar, are cursed with high fat content. A single ounce of regular cheddar cheese contains 10 g of fat, with 6 g of saturated fat -- nearly 30 percent of your daily recommended saturated fat intake. You can still enjoy the taste of these hard cheeses -- and the vitamins and minerals they contain -- without spending all day on a treadmill burning them off, however. Simply look for brands or manufacturers that make their cheese from skim milk, rather than whole milk. Not only the fat content, but the total calories as well will be significantly lower than in a whole milk equivalent.
Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese is the king of cheeses for individuals who are seeking to eat a low fat diet. A 4-oz. serving of regular cottage cheese contains only 120 calories and 5 g of total fat, with a generous 14 g of protein. Reduced-fat cottage cheeses with even less fat content are also available. That 4-oz. serving of cottage cheese does contain about 460 mg of sodium, however -- choosing a reduced-sodium option is preferable.
Soft Cheeses
When you do eat full-fat cheeses, choose more of the softer, spreadable cheeses, such as ricotta and feta, each of which contain only about 5 g of fat per ounce. Even mozzarella cheese is lower in fat than many other choices, also containing only about 5 g of fat per ounce of cheese. As is the case with hard cheeses, you can frequently find types of these soft cheeses that are made from low-fat or no-fat milk, which further reduces the fat content of the cheese.
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