Cheeses You Should Be Eating, One of the most wonderful things ever created by humans is cheese. Pizza, the Denver omelet, wine and cheese get-togethers, Greek salad, cheeseburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese and crackers, and perfectly plated nachos wouldn’t exist without it. We are fortunate that we do not have to live in such a world because it would barely be worthwhile.
And although cheese frequently gets a bad name for being unhealthy, there are really numerous forms of cheese that are filling, tasty, and can be included in a healthy diet. However, there are also numerous kinds of cheese that are best consumed in moderation, while many others are better avoided altogether. We’ll talk about a few of those today. Not even while wearing food-safe gloves and a 10-foot pole. A couple of those are also being highlighted as a PSA.
Cheeses You Should Be Eating, Forbes said that cheese has been produced by humans for at least 7,500 years. It was a staple cuisine in Ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire. It is mentioned in numerous Bible passages. And it has influenced American politics as well as diets, with enormous cheese wheels serving as presidential gifts in the 19th century. Let’s now examine this gift of food in both the forms you should enjoy frequently and the ones you should avoid at all costs.
Cheeses You Should Be Eating And You Shouldn’t
1. EAT: Parmesan cheese
Cheeses You Should Be Eating, The benefits of parmesan cheese are numerous. First and foremost, it tastes great. Along with all the flavor it contributes, parmesan also contains a variety of nutrients. It may enhance the flavor of pasta, pizza, salads, soups, and so many other foods. This cheese has traces of other elements like copper and zinc in addition to being high in calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins A, B12, and B6 (via Live Strong).
And despite the fact that parmesan cheese is packed with vitamins and minerals, its fat content is surprisingly low. A one-ounce portion of parmesan contains only eight grams of fat, per statistics from Men’s Health. You can see that the eight-gram amount is a decent point of pride for this delicacy, which bears the name of the Northern Italian Province of Parma. Compare that to the fat levels seen in some of the other cheeses described here.
DON’T EAT: American cheese
“Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product” is clearly stated on the label. The legal name for this “food” is “pasteurized process cheese,” as stated in the Food. And Drug Administration’s “Requirements for Specific Standardized Cheese and Related Products,” Sec. 133.169.
It says this if it’s made of cheddar cheese, washed curd cheese, Colby cheese, or granular cheese. Or any combination of two or more of these: “In case it is made of cheddar cheese, washed curd cheese, Colby cheese, or granular cheese, or any mixture of two or more of these. It may be designated ‘Pasteurized process American cheese.'” Not to mention that just 51% of American cheese must actually be made of cheese.
Contrary to jazz, Corvettes, and blue jeans, American cheese is not a national treasure that we should be proud of being an American original. It is high in saturated fat, packed with components other than cheese, and, to many palates, has an unpleasant flavor.
2. EAT: Fresh mozzarella
Cheeses You Should Be Eating, If you haven’t eaten fresh mozzarella cheese, you really haven’t lived. like fresh from Campania, manufactured the same day, right outside of New York City. There’s no need to embellish the lily when it comes to fresh mozzarella cheese; simply enjoy it on pizza, Caprese, in pasta recipes, or by itself. Furthermore, despite its apparent indulgence, minimally processed mozzarella is not unhealthy.
One ounce of mozzarella has six grams of protein and only six grams of fat, according to Healthline. The same one-ounce serving of mozzarella contains only 7% of the daily recommended intake for sodium based on a diet of 2,000 calories, which is lower than most cheeses. With that ounce of fresh, delicate mozzarella, you will also receive 14% of the daily required calcium. Finally, mozzarella cheese may provide beneficial probiotics like Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus fermentum.
DON’T EAT: Camembert
Yes, camembert cheese is excellent, and there are situations in which it is acceptable to eat a small amount of food as long as you stick to the rare rule. According to the British Heart Foundation, this soft, creamy cheese, which is from Camembert, France, is quite high in fat, which may not come as a surprise. In actuality, there is roughly 23% fat in it, and even worse, 14% of that fat is saturated.
With up to 1.5 grams of sodium per 100 grams, or around three ounces, of cheese, the cheese is also fairly salty. Having said that, you don’t need to fully eliminate this cheese from your diet, but you should only consume it sometimes. Even though deep-fried camembert is indeed delicious, especially when paired with cranberry sauce, it’s best to avoid it completely.
3. EAT: Cottage cheese
Cheeses You Should Be Eating, The name cottage cheese, which, according to Cheese.com, “is believed to have originated since the cheese was often manufactured in cottages from milk left over, after producing butter,” doesn’t actually do the product any favors. And whether you live in a cottage, an apartment, or a vast manor home, making cottage cheese yourself is actually rather simple. You might also just buy the items at your neighborhood grocery store.
You should include a lot of cottage cheese in your diet, regardless of how you obtain it. Healthline claims that it is low in calories, high in protein, and packed with minerals, including folate, calcium, phosphorus, and Vitamin B12, of which one cup of cottage cheese provides 59% of the daily required intake. Cottage cheese is a healthy snack to eat before or after exercise or simply when you want to feel filled for longer because more than two-thirds of its calories come from protein.
DON’T EAT: Spray cheese
In this Tonight Show flashback, Drew Barrymore’s expression tells it all. Spray cheese is one of the world’s most unnatural meals, according to Wired, while Everyday Health describes it as “a severely processed cheese that isn’t really, well, cheese.” Look, you already know that cheese delivered from a pressurized can via a depressed nozzle has no business entering your body. It’s just plain, obvious reality. Simply said, this cheese is flawed in every way. Additionally, it’s completely inaccurate in real life.
Canola oil to keep its liquid texture, sodium phosphate, whey, and roughly twice as much salt as you would find in other cheeses are among the substances that Wired analyzed in a can of spray cheese, such as Kraft Easy Cheese Cheddar Pasteurized Cheese Snack. This insult to human health and dignity belongs in the history books, not the produce section, and it most definitely has no place near anything you intend to eat or, even worse, give to your developing children.
4. EAT: Feta cheese
Cheeses You Should Be Eating, The so-called TikTok Pasta recipe, which centers a brick of this adored cheese over a tomato and noodle dish, has given feta cheese quite the moment lately. Beyond the current viral craze, which according to the Charlotte Observer left some grocery aisles without cheese, feta is a delightful cheese that needs to be a regular component of your diet.
It’s typically produced using sheep or goat milk, and WebMD notes that it has a low lactose content and comparatively few calories. Feta contains plenty of probiotics, immune boosters like selenium and zinc, phosphorous, which supports bones and teeth, and is high in calcium, which is important for bone health. Additionally, feta is flavorful and tangy, adding a flourish to many salads, omelets, and wraps. It’s also wonderful as a snack by itself. It can be crumbled or cut into cubes, but unlike most cheeses, it can’t truly be melted.
DON’T EAT: Reduced-fat cheese
The fat that is added back into the cheese to replace the fat that was removed from it may be worse for your health than the natural fat, so if you’re worried about cutting fat for health reasons, you should think about cutting out cheese entirely (or choosing a naturally lower fat cheese) rather than choosing a reduced fat cheese. According to Insider, which also notes that these low-fat substitutes may include dangerous substances, “Any item that reduces fat or sugar should be on your radar.”
Additionally, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition notes that if you choose reduced-fat cheese, you might forfeit many heart-healthy advantages that come with full-fat cheese, such as HDL cholesterol, also known as high-density lipoprotein and referred to by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as “the good cholesterol” (CDC).
5. EAT: Goat cheese
Cheeses You Should Be Eating, Contrary to popular belief, goat cheese contains lactose. However, it tends to be far lower in lactose than dairy milk, making it usually acceptable for persons who must avoid dairy products for health reasons. Overall, the nutritional value of goat’s milk (as well as goat cheese) is comparable to that of cow’s milk.
According to Healthline, goat cheese has roughly 100 calories per one-ounce serving, is moderately high in protein, and is somewhat high in fat. It contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, vitamin A, and vitamin B2, commonly known as riboflavin. And even if you don’t fare well with dairy foods, you may still be a cheese lover. Because goat cheese can be used in place of cow cheese in numerous recipes, including lasagna, grilled cheese sandwiches, and an appetizer platter.
DON’T EAT: Cheddar
We recognize how challenging this is. Cheddar cheese is mouthwateringly good. Many people would choose it as their desert island cheese if they could only eat one kind of cheese ever again. But if you frequently consume omelets, sandwiches, and burgers. Or other items where cheese plays a significant part, you should certainly cut back on this type of cheese. Why? Since cheddar is a very salty, fatty cheese.
According to Nutritionix, feta cheese has 21.3 grams of fat per 100 grams (or around 3 ounces) of cheese, as a point of comparison. While Brie has 27.7 grams of fat in around 3 ounces of cheese, mozzarella has 22.3 grams of fat in the same amount of cheese. Cheddar, too? Per 100 grams of cheese, it has 33.3 grams of fat. In comparison to some of the other cheeses on our list, it has a fat content that is more than a third higher. Since a reduced-fat option isn’t a decent alternative, it’s time to start thinking of this popular everyday cheese as a special treat only occasionally.
6. EAT: Blue cheese
The Cheeses You Should Be Eating, Despite being understandably unappealing to some. Blue cheese is a relatively healthy choice that need not be avoided due to health concerns. The Blue cheese gets its color (as well as flavor and aroma) from mold. Blue cheese has 33% of the daily required calcium intake in just one ounce, making it richer in calcium than most other cheeses. With only 100 calories per ounce, blue cheese is also relatively low in calories.
With 380 milligrams of sodium in each single-ounce amount, blue cheese isn’t as salty as you might think given its strong flavor. In fact, it’s almost as salty as feta and parmesan. (Swiss cheese is a good option if you’re truly managing your salt intake.)
Be aware that blue cheese salad dressing is not at all a healthy option as it frequently contains fatty components and is rich in calories (source: My Fitness Pal).
DON’T EAT: Sweetened cream cheese
Avoid sweetened cream cheeses because, according to The Daily Meal, they frequently include aspartame, which can lead to a variety of stomach problems. And to be completely honest, adding sugar to cream cheese simply compounds the problem of a dish that is already best avoided. Even without the addition of sweetening ingredients. Cream cheese is not particularly nutritious, despite being delectable and occasionally virtually necessary when bagels and lox are served.
With only roughly two grams of protein per ounce and a minimum fat content of 33%. Cream cheese is said to be extremely low in protein and rather high in fat, according to Healthline. Try whipped cream cheese if you can’t resist the substance. Because it often contains less fat and calories than its non-whipped version, according to Healthline. Don’t overlook the virtues of a traditional buttered bagel either. (Of course, you should limit your intake of butter as well.)
7. EAT: Swiss Cheese
Cheeses You Should Be Eating, Swiss cheese includes only 52 mg of salt per serving, according to WebMD. If you do the arithmetic, Swiss cheese has more than seven times less sodium per ounce than blue cheese, which has 380 milligrams of sodium per ounce. With eight grams of fat and seven grams of the crucial substance in each dish, it has a respectable amount of protein. Additionally, Swiss cheese is delicious on burgers and sandwiches, excellent in fondue, and delightful all by itself.
By the way, if you’re curious as to why Swiss cheese has holes, P. shermanii. The bacteria give Swiss cheese its characteristic flavor. Produces carbon dioxide as a byproduct while it’s doing its magic on the milk used to manufacture the cheese, according to Study.com.
REALLY DON’T: Casu Marzu
There are so many warning signs when it comes to Casu Marzu cheese that you’ll think you’re at a Lunar New Year celebration. With my apologies to the cultural and culinary history of Sardinia, Italy, the origin of this cuisine. First off, according to Cheese.com, the word actually means “rotten cheese.” The cheese is alive with cheese fly larvae, which makes it supple, almost fluid-like, and incredibly pungent. Additionally, if the maggots perish, the cheese may become dangerous to eat.
Casu Marzu is a traditional Sardinian delicacy served at special occasions like weddings and festivals. But according to Smithsonian Magazine. Cheese is “totally illegal here” in America. You’ll need to make travel arrangements across the Atlantic if you want to try the fly larvae cheese for yourself but maybe think twice about doing so first.
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