Healthy types of cheese

Cheese

Cheese might be good or bad food depending on which one you eat. It is rich in vitamins A and B12, and minerals, such as zinc and phosphorus. The downside is that many sorts of cheese might contain unhealthy amounts of fat and salt.

Healthy Cheeses

Low-fat cheeses are made of skimmed or partly skimmed milk, and have 7 to 15% of fat contents. The rule is that the harder cheeses usually have more fat, but choose the one with “fat free” or “low fat” labels on them. When searching the healthy soft cheese, try ones made of part-skimmed or skimmed milk. It is always better to look for natural than processed cheeses, for the first ones have less fat and additives.

Low-sodium cheeses are emmentaler (Swiss cheese) and parmigiano reggiano and most of the soft cheeses. If you are on a low-sodium diet, avoid the cheeses that have 400mg or more sodium per one serving.

Low-lactose cheeses are suitable for people that are lactose intolerant. These people might try feta, goat or sheep cheeses and some aged products, like gruyere, parmigiano reggiano or cheddar. It is proven that lactose transforms into lactic acid in those aged cheeses, which doesn’t cause problems for lactose intolerant patients.

The Healthiest Cheeses on the Market

Cottage cheese is quite famous type of cheese among bodybuilders and people that want to lose some weight. It is really low in fat, but rich in proteins necessary to build the muscles. It might be used in the recipes instead of the ricotta cheese, or with some jam or the fruits. Usually, cottage cheese contains plenty of sodium, so you might want to try some low-sodium varieties of this cheese.

Feta is the Greek cheese, made of goat and ewe milk. This cheese is suitable for lactose intolerant people, but may be bit too salty for someone’s taste. To solve this, soak it in cold water or milk for couple of minutes. It is commonly used to make pitas, wraps in salads.

Gouda is made out of cow’s milk. There are gouda types: made of skimmed milk, with less fat content, and aged gouda, that has much less lactose than the standard type. This cheese might be used in pasta, with potato meals, as a snack or in a sandwich.

Parmigiano Reggiano might be one of the healthiest cheeses there is. Sometimes, it can be called parmesan, but the word referred to all cheeses similar to this type. Parmiggiano reggiano can be used in pastas, salads or in soups.

Ricotta is an Italian cheese, usually made of whey and because of that extremely low in fat content (about 5%). Italians use ricotta to make desserts, as a spread or with some fresh fruits. Type suitable for lactose intolerance is ricotta salata moliterna.