Key Takeaways
\nCheese can absolutely be part of a healthy diet when eaten in reasonable portions, as it contains nutrients like protein, calcium, and probiotics.While cheese can be high in saturated fat, some varieties\u2014especially fermented or lower-fat types\u2014offer health benefits that outweigh this concern.Cheese like Swiss, low-fat cottage cheese, and part-skim mozzarella stand out for their high nutrient content and versatility.<\/p>\n
While the words \u201chealthy\u201d and \u201ccheese\u201d aren\u2019t often found in the same sentence, they should be! This is because balance and moderation are inherent to a healthy eating routine<\/a>, meaning that all foods (cheese included) can fit. But aside from this notion, there are actually a handful of cheeses<\/a> that have quite a lot to offer us nutritionally, standing above the rest.\n<\/p>\n When it comes to enjoying cheese<\/a> in moderation, \u201ca good portion size for hard cheeses is approximately one to 1.5 ounces per day, and about a half cup per day for softer cheeses,\u201d says Lena Bakovic, MS, RDN, CNSC, registered dietitian at Top Nutrition Coaching. With this information in tow, we\u2019ve compiled a list of the eight healthiest cheeses to look for on your next trip to the supermarket.<\/p>\n Swiss Cheese <\/p>\n Serving Size: 1 ounce (28 grams)<\/a> \u201cSwiss cheese is ideal for individuals watching sodium in their diets,\u201d says Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LD. In fact, Swiss cheese is known to be one of the lowest sodium cheese varieties<\/a> available. It\u2019s just an added bonus that it offers a wonderfully nutty flavor, plenty of calcium, minimal dietary cholesterol, and low levels of lactose.<\/p>\n Low-Fat Cottage Cheese <\/p>\n Serving Size: 1\/2 cup (100 g)<\/a> In the health food space, cottage cheese<\/a> has been soaring in popularity over recent years. This viral ingredient is all over social media platforms<\/a> as a favorite of health influencers, thanks to its high protein and low fat content. \u201cCottage cheese is also usually cultured with probiotics<\/a>, and conveniently available for purchase in individual containers,\u201d says Bakovic.<\/p>\n Blue Cheese <\/p>\n Serving Size: 1 ounce (28 g)<\/a> For those who like their cheese on the stinkier side, blue cheese can be a great option. It provides a decent amount of calcium and protein, while not being outrageously high in calories or dietary cholesterol. The pungency of this cheese also helps to ensure that you won\u2019t go overboard and inadvertently rack up your sodium intake.<\/p>\n Farmer\u2019s Cheese <\/p>\n Serving Size: 1\/2 cup (100 g)<\/a> If you haven\u2019t yet heard of farmer\u2019s cheese<\/a>, it\u2019s only a matter of time, as this up-and-coming variety has so much to offer in terms of both taste and nutrition. Farmer\u2019s cheese has a very mild flavor that lends itself nicely to either sweet or savory dishes. And with a hefty serving of probiotics, nearly 100 percent of your daily calcium needs<\/a>, and 15 grams of protein in only a half of a cup, this humble cheese is worth the hype.<\/p>\n Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese <\/p>\n Serving Size: 1 ounce (28 g)<\/a> \u201cPart-skim mozzarella cheese<\/a> makes for a great snack when paired with fruit<\/a> or whole-grain crackers, as it is lower in saturated fat,\u201d says Andrews. And who could forget that this stretchy cheese makes for the most irresistible slice of pizza<\/a>? It\u2019s just an added bonus that part-skim mozz is also relatively low in sodium and cholesterol, while being a great source of calcium.<\/p>\n Ricotta Cheese <\/p>\n Serving Size: 1\/2 cup (100 g)<\/a> Ricotta cheese is often enjoyed in many of the same ways as cottage cheese, especially in many Mediterranean parts of the world. As an ingredient that can be seamlessly added to both sweet and savory dishes, ricotta is a delicious high calcium and protein<\/a> standalone snack with fruit or crudit\u00e9s, as well as an ingredient in pastas and even baked goods.\n<\/p>\n Feta Cheese <\/p>\n Serving Size: 1 ounce (28 g)<\/a> While feta cheese is higher in sodium and cholesterol compared to the other options listed here, this salty favorite has a moderate caloric load and offers meaningful amounts of calcium. One of the biggest selling points of feta, however, is that it\u2019s made with sheep\u2019s milk and very low in lactose\u2014a major win for those sensitive to dairy products.\n<\/p>\n Parmesan <\/p>\n Serving Size: 1 ounce (28 g)<\/a> Speaking of lactose, hard cheeses like Parmesan<\/a> are notably low in the milk sugar. Plus, Parmesan is shockingly high in protein and calcium<\/a>. However, it\u2019s important to stick to a one to 1.5-ounce portion size to avoid a hefty salt load. From pasta<\/a> and pizza to soups and breads, there\u2019s no shortage of ways to use this beloved cheese.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Key Takeaways Cheese can absolutely be part of a healthy diet when eaten in reasonable portions, as it…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":403752,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[97,269],"class_list":{"0":"post-403751","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-nutrition"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=403751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403751\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/403752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=403751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=403751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=403751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Calories: 111 calories
Protein: 8 grams (g)
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 26 milligrams (mg), 9 percent of Daily Value (DV)*
Calcium: 252 mg, 19% DV
Sodium: 53 mg, 2% DV<\/p>\n
Calories: 82 calories
Protein: 11 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 12 milligrams (mg), 4% DV
Calcium: 103 mg, 8% DV
Sodium: 321 mg, 14% DV\n<\/p>\n
Calories: 100 calories
Protein: 6 g
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 21 milligrams (mg), 8% DV\u00a0
Calcium: 150 mg, 12% DV
Sodium: 326 mg, 14% DV\n<\/p>\n
Calories: 145 calories
Protein: 15 g
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 35 milligrams (mg), 12% DV
Calcium: 1125 mg, 90% DV
Sodium: 82 mg, 4% DV\n<\/p>\n
Calories: 72 calories
Protein: 7 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 18 milligrams (mg), 7% DV\u00a0
Calcium: 222 mg, 18% DV
Sodium: 175 mg, 8% DV\n<\/p>\n
Calories: 150 calories
Protein: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 49 milligrams (mg), 17% DV
Calcium: 206 mg, 17% DV
Sodium: 110 mg, 5% DV\n<\/p>\n
Calories: 75 calories
Protein: 4 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 25 milligrams (mg), 10% DV\u00a0
Calcium: 140 mg, 11% DV
Sodium: 323 mg, 15% DV\n<\/p>\n
Calories: 111 calories
Protein: 10 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 19 milligrams (mg), 8% DV\u00a0
Calcium: 335 mg, 26% DV
Sodium: 335 mg, 16% DV\n<\/p>\n