Your wls-friendly guide to CHEESE!

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

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.

The not-so-good news

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.

So what cheese to choose?

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!

Some common cheeses compared!

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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