Cheese makes a delicious snack, topping, main meal (hmm don’t judge me!)… But how do you choose? And which cheese is the healthiest now you have a sleeve? Let’s dig in and find out…
The good news is that cheese is very nutritious. It’s high in protein and is a good source of calcium for healthy bones. In fact, one serving of cheese equates to one-third of your daily dairy needs. These facts make cheese a perfect way to add some extra nutrition to your meals without adding too much volume which can be hard to fit in with a sleeve.
Generally, hard cheeses, such as cheddar, have the highest amount of nutrients in a serve, compared to other varieties such as cottage cheese which often contain more water per gram so are lower in calories and other nutrients.
Sadly, cheese can be really high in salt, especially the strong-flavoured varieties like parmesan, feta and haloumi. Cheese is also high in saturated fat and kilojoules, so being a little overzealous with the cheese knife isn’t a grate (get it?!) idea.
Better choices are varieties such as Swiss, Jarlsberg or mozzarella, which are lower in salt. Look for reduced-fat varieties where possible, which can range from having 25 to 80 per cent less fat than the regular varieties. I want to put a disclaimer on this though… If you’re only using a small amount this isn’t such a big deal, so if you prefer full fat, go for it. See the table at the end of this post for the full breakdown of all the cheeses I looked at.
Cheddar
Good old cheddar has one of the highest protein and calcium contents of all the cheeses and is moderate in salt. The extra light version is the best in terms of protein and calcium content with ~30g protein and ~950mg calcium per 100g (or about 10g protein and about 300mg calcium per serve).
Feta
A little goes a long way with this Greek beauty. It’s perfect to crumble over salads or add to an omelette for a boost of flavour, protein and calcium. Stick to a small 20g cube (the size of two dice) as it is really high in salt.
Parmesan
Parmesan is one of the highest in protein and calcium, but sadly also one of the highest in salt which is why it has such a strong flavour. As with feta, because parmesan has such a strong flavour, you can use less. Instead of smothering meals in buckets of melted cheese, sprinkle over a tablespoon of grated parmesan over your pastas or salads.
Ricotta
Ricotta has a smooth texture and a light flavour. Although it’s lower in calories and salt, it’s not as high in protein or calcium than others. Use it as a healthier alternative to cream. It works well in sweet or savoury dishes so it’s a win win. Try spreading it on grainy toast for a high-protein snack.
Cottage cheese
Low-fat cottage cheese is low in kilojoules but also high in hunger-busting protein, making it a popular snack if you’re trying to lose weight. It’s also a source of probiotics to help your gut stay on track.
Did you know?
Cheese is high in protein because it takes 10 litres of milk to makes one kilogram of cheese!
A quick note on lactose… If you’re intolerant to lactose, don’t fear. The harder the cheese the lower in lactose so your best bets are cheeses like parmesan. There are also a range of lactose free cheeses made by Liddells which are excellent!
The values below are per 100g so we’re comparing apples with apples, but remember, some cheeses you will eat more or less of (for example, a serve of hard cheese like cheddar is 2 thin slices (40g) but a serve of smooth cheese like ricotta is ½ cup or 120g).
Type per 100 g | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Saturated Fat (g) | Energy (g) | Calcium (mg) | Sodium (mg) |
Cheddar (extra light) | 31.1 | 15.3 | 9.9 | 1109 | 995 | 560 |
Ricotta (regular fat) | 10.2 | 8.7 | 5.5 | 551 | 232 | 185 |
Ricotta (reduced fat) | 6.8 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 279 | 232 | 116 |
Cheddar (reduced fat) | 28.9 | 24.2 | 15.6 | 1403 | 803 | 550 |
Cottage cheese (reduced fat) | 12.5 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 398 | 101 | 193 |
Cottage cheese (regular fat) | 15.4 | 5.7 | 3.5 | 529 | 89 | 277 |
Parmesan | 35.1 | 28.8 | 18.2 | 1690 | 970 | 1300 |
Feta (reduced fat) | 25.7 | 14.5 | 9.3 | 1000 | 340 | 1100 |
Cream cheese (reduced fat) | 8.5 | 25 | 16.1 | 1079 | 69 | 320 |
Cream Cheese | 8.5 | 34.2 | 22.1 | 1420 | 69 | 320 |
Cheddar (regular fat) | 24.6 | 32.8 | 19.9 | 1663 | 763 | 684 |
Mozzarella (regular fat) | 22.2 | 22.1 | 14.4 | 1213 | 685 | 522 |
White Mould (eg. Brie, Camembert) | 18.6 | 30.3 | 19.7 | 1465 | 464 | 685 |
Feta (regular fat) | 17.6 | 23.2 | 15.1 | 1179 | 323 | 1100 |
Haloumi | 21.3 | 17.1 | 11 | 1050 | 620 | 2900 |
Blue Vein | 20.3 | 32.4 | 20.7 | 1571 | 510 | 1090 |
Nutrition information from AusFoods 2017 database.
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