Cheese curd, a cheesemaking by-product popular in the midwest United States and Canada, is a tasty dairy food, but it may not be a good diet option when you are trying to lose weight. When you are following Weight Watchers, fitting cheese curd into your diet depends on the number of Weight Watchers points it has.
About Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers is a diet plan founded in the 1960s by Jean Nidetch. What began as a support group developed into a system by which foods are assigned a number -- called points -- based on a food's protein, carbs, fat and fiber count, and dieters are assigned a daily points goal. A study published in the September 2011 issue of "The Lancet" indicates that study participants who followed Weight Watchers lost more weight than those who simply followed a physician's advice.
About Cheese Curd
Cheese curd is a product of cheesemaking. When whey separates from milk, it leaves the curd. In typical cheesemaking, the curd is pressed in shaped containers to produce wheels of cheddar, colby, monterey jack and other cheese, but many people enjoy the texture and taste of raw cheese curds. Fresh curd squeaks against your teeth when you eat it, and it provides a fresh dairy flavor. You can also eat cheese curd deep-fried, although this is likely not a smart choice for a weight loss diet like Weight Watchers.
Cheese Curd and Weight Watchers Points
A 1 ounce serving of cheese curd contains 7 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat and no carbs or fiber, which translates to three Weight Watchers points. The number of points you may consume each day on Weight Watchers varies according to gender, weight, height, age and daily activity level, but ranges from 19 to 24 points. Weight Loss Resources reports the average points level stands at 19 points per day.
Healthy Cheese Curd Options for Weight Watchers
Based on the average daily Weight Watchers points level of 19, a 1 ounce serving of cheese curd accounts for nearly 16 percent of your daily food allowance. You may not want to use the points on a full ounce of cheese curd, so consider a smaller amount of curds on a low-point value lettuce salad or melting a small portion of cheese curd over vegetables. This gives you the flavor of cheese curd while helping you to keep your points within range.
References
- Weight Watchers
- The Lancet; Primary Care Referral to a Commercial Provider For Weight Loss Treatment Versus Standard Care; S.A. Jebb, et al.
- What's Cooking America: Cheese Curds
- MyFitnessPal: Generic - White Cheddar Cheese Curds
- Calculator.net: Weight Watchers Points Calculator
- Weight Loss Resources: Weight Watchers Under the Spotlight
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