Healthy Cheese

I have started a new lifestyle change and I love cheese. I had to do a research on all the cheese so I knew what would be healthy to eat and what would not be. My lifestyle change is to eat lighter portions, eat more clean and whole foods. Such as fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and more fish. I also started walking and keeping my steps. I use a couple different apps for my new lifestyle change. I use Myfittnesspal, Record, and runkeeper. I started a support group on facebook, as my two daughters' are also changing their way of life, starting to exercise and eat right as well.

Getting right into the cheese, there are so many kinds, it was hard to decipher which is best. I did a lot of research. Here are the cheeses we will discuss:

Feta, goat, mozzarella, neufchatel, cottage, provolone, ricotta, parmesean and swiss. These are the top healthiest cheeses on every site that I researched.

Feta cheese is Greek, is soft, comes in block, with no or small holes. It has a salty flavor varying from mild to sharp. It is a white cheese dipped in brine. Feta cheese is one of the lowest in fat and calories than most other cheeses.

Feta has 4 grams of protein and 74 calories in 1 ounce. It's flavor is so bold that you do not need much. You can add it to salads, in the form of "crumbly", use it in recipes instead of American or Cheddar, such as hamburgers or pasta.

Chevre is french for goat cheese. In the "diet" world is better than cheeses made from cow's milk. Goat cheese is obviously made from goat's milk. Goat's milk is usually substituted for cow's milk when someone may be lactose intolerant.

Chevre, or goat's milk is low in fat and calories has 5 grams of protein, and 80 calories in just 1 ounce. It also contains Vitamin A and potassium and is low in sodium.

Mozzarella Cheese is Italian, made from buffalo's milk. It can also be made from other animal's milk, such as sheep, goat, and cow. Most of the mozzarella cheese now is made from cow's milk. It is a white and solid, sliceable cheese.

Mozzarella cheese has 72 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 7 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of sugars and carbs.

Those "string" cheeses are not only for kiddo's, adults should eat these as well. They are made from mozzarella and are considered a whole food.

Neufchatel cheese is from france, is similar to cream cheese, but much softer. It is made from cow's milk. It is said to be the oldest cheese from France.

Neufchatel has 70 calories, 6 grams of fat, low sodium, high in vitamin A and potassium.

Cottage cheese has been around since around the 1800's. It is a curd with a mild taste.

Most people think they have to give up cottage cheese when they begin to "diet" or eat better, which is not the case.

4 ounces of cottage cheese has 120 calories, 5 grams of fat, 3 grams of carbs and 12 grams of protein. Cottage cheese original has about 500 milligrams of sodium and 70 milligrams of calcium. There are choices of low fat or non fat with lower calories but high in sodium.

Provolone cheese is from Italy, and is an aged cheese. It is made from cow's milk and is very smooth. It is considered a hard cheese with a sharp flavor.

One slice of provolone has 70 calories, 5 grams of protein, about 160 milligrams of sodium and very high in calcium.

Ricotta is Italian and is made from cow, sheep, goat and buffalo's milk. It is a "whey" cheese like cottage cheese, but a little more firm.

Ricotta cheese is high in calcium and potassium. It also has Vitamin A and B-12. 1 cup of this delicious cheese has 428 calories, 32 grams of fat and 28 grams of protein.

Parmesan is known as the King of Cheeses according to cheese experts. It is a hard, grainy cheese made from cow's milk.

A tablespoon of Parmesan has 20 calories, 1.4 grams of fat, 1.9 grams of protein, 6 grams of potassium and 76 milligrams of sodium. You should replace butter and salt with this cheese. It is better than american or cheddar cheese.

Swiss cheese is a common name for the original cheese called Emmental and is from Switzerland. Swiss cheese is from the United States, made from cow's milk, it is a hard processed cheese.

American Swiss cheese has 106 calories, 8 grams of fat, 8 grams of protein, 22 milligrams of potassium, 54 milligrams of sodium and is high in calcium.

Cheese of any kind should be eaten in moderation, just like any foods. These cheeses listed above are one of the healthiest cheeses we can consume.

Remember, eating low fat, or no fat cheeses are higher in sodium than their original counter parts. All cheeses have a high calcium count and are good for our bones.

Feta Cheese and Goat cheese seem to be the best type of cheeses to eat. The bold flavor of these cheeses means we do not need to eat very much. Toss it on a salad or use it in casseroles.