Imagining you are a big fan of cheeses but want to follow a diet for weight-loss goal or resort to do it for medical reasons, you must struggle with the cut-off of your favorite food in daily meal.
Why? The taste of cheeses is so good that it can satisfy the appetite of different subjects, from kids to adults, from those who follow a normal diet to those who are involved in a stricter one as a vegetarian or vegan.
Fortunately, here is the good news you are pleased to hear: not all cheeses are bad for your diet. There are several types to be high in protein but low in fat, making them a good choice while you are on diet.
Best cheeses for diets
Many think that they need stay away from all cheeses during diet because of its high calories and fat content. However, some cheeses contain a moderate amount of fat while providing a high amount of calories, making it worthy involving in a diet.
And, one more important thing, the benefits and consumption of cheeses will be different depending on which diet you are on.
Feta
Having fewer calories than other cheeses (75cal), Feta – an active ingredient in Mediterranean diet is the first choice for a dietary plan. It is made from sheep milk or a combination of sheep and goat. Not just that, Vitamin B found in Feta may promote metabolism and give you an energy boost.
Cottage cheese
A ½ cup of low-fat cottage cheese severed with some fresh fruits must be an ideal choice for breakfast. It’s not rich and satiating but it also keeps you staying full till lunchtime thanks to the calories (81cal) and protein (14g) it contains. Make sure that you choose cheeses of which milk fat is 1% to 2%.
Mozzarella
Mozzarella is a low- lactose cheese. It is definitely an ideal choice for those who are intolerant to lactose. Containing only 80 calories and providing 6 grams of protein and 6 grams of fat per ounce, low-fat mozzarella cheese is good substitute for snacks like French fries.
Parmesan
Other low-calories cheese in the list is Parmesan commonly used in roasted vegetables and pasta dishes. A tablespoon only has 21 calories, fewer than 1.5 grams of fat, and 90 milligrams of sodium.
Swiss
Swiss cheese is low in sodium that helps a lot with your weight loss. Its slice contains 106 calories, over 7 grams of fat and 7.54 grams of proteins. In addition, Vitamin B12 that is rich in Swiss may promote health of bone and teeth.
Cheddar
Studies show those who have a high body mass index (BMI) is more likely to have low levels of calcium. Therefore, high-calcium foods like Cheddar cheese may be good for their weight-loss diet. A slice of cheddar packs with 100 calories, 7 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat, and 20 milligrams of calcium.
Ricotta
Aside from Cheddar, Ricotta is high in calcium. Just with a half cup of it, you can receive 25% amount of calcium you need for a day. Ricotta is also low in sodium and high in Vitamins B and Vitamin A.
Brie cheese
Other low-fat cheese option is Brie, which is rich and creamy, making you less likely to overeat it. The Vitamin B6 and B12 that are rich in the cheese are effective to boost energy.
Goat Cheese
Lower in fat and calories, goat milk is such an ideal choice for those engaged in strict lactose diet and sensitive to cow’s milk. In addition, goat cheese can contain probiotics depending processing process and has many medium-chain fatty acids than cow’s milk that aid in fighting inflammation.
Aside from cheeses of which calories and fat are good for diet with a proper consumption, there are some that you should eat less, or even avoid.
American cheese is the first cheese in your watch list. It provides up to 57 grams of fat per slice and contains processed ingredients, including food dyes that give it an unnatural yellow-orange color.
Another one is cream cheese that has 46 calories per ounce. Although cream cheese is tasteful, the excessive intake of it may go straight to your waistline. It really matters, right?
Cheese is a basic food and a simple ingredient to combine with other foods. When you are on a diet, you pay more attention to cheeses you eat. To get best benefits from your diet and cheese’s consumption, you had better consult your nutrition expert for the proper amount and type based on your own type of diet.