Exploring the World of Lower-Fat
Cheese
Enjoy and Lighten Up!
Have you
resolved to lose a few pounds this year? Or just eat “healthier?” If so, you
might want to visit the growing world of lower-fat cheese. There are a lot to
try and many come in convenient sliced, shredded and snack stick forms.
Given the
immense popularity of cheese among Americans (especially cheddar-type cheeses
which comprise about 90% of consumption) and our need to “get in shape,” it’s
no surprise cheese makers are trimming fat and calories from this favorite
food. Two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese and children and teens are
growing in girth along with adults. The Dietary Guidelines 2010 tell us to cut
back on “solid fats,” balance our calories to reach or maintain a healthy weight
, increase the nutrient density of our diets and get more dairy foods (or
substitutes).
Lower-fat
cheese can help meet these dietary needs, delivering most of the nutrients in
milk in a convenient form. When you pull fat from cheese, you still have lots of
high-quality protein and calcium, a key nutrient many of us are lacking.
Protein is a hot topic. One notion that keeps coming up in weight-loss research
is the value of protein to enhance satiety, satisfaction and therefore dietary
compliance. Higher protein weight loss diets also seem to preserve muscle mass
and encourage fat loss in dieters. In diabetic meal planning and school food
service meals cheese is considered a meat substitute, ounce for ounce, because
it is so protein- and nutrient-rich.
Is there a
role for lower-fat cheese in your diet?
Here’s how
they fit into mine: I love regular, full-flavored artisan cheeses, locally made
and from around the world. These I tend to save for a week-end cheese platter,
special recipes and entertaining. When it comes to a quick lunch or afternoon
snack I reach for one of my favorite reduced-fat cheeses. And why be a snob?
Someone committed to shedding pounds may find these products fill a cheese
craving without breaking their budget for fat and calories.
Tips to
Enjoy Lower-Fat Cheese
Keep an Open Mind
Rather than
comparing lower-fat cheeses with full-fat counterparts, consider lower-fat
cheese a category of its own – with unique purposes. They are not all good (as
I discovered when I conducted a tasting of 10 modified cheeses for a group of
dairy experts) so taste various brands and types for ones you like.
Read the Label
Lighter
cheese can be very confusing. Mozzarella comes in whole milk, reduced-fat,
part-skim, lite and fat-free versions – and some may be low moisture. The front
label will generally tell the fat and calories you save compared to the brand’s
regular product or a similar one. Check the nutrition facts panel for details –
different brands of the same type of cheese, such as cheddar, have different
nutrient contents. While a 25% or 30% fat or calorie saving may not sound like
much, if you consume cheese regularly these small changes may be significant.
Use them Correctly and Manage Your Expectations
Reduced-fat
varieties melt more like full-fat cheese than low-fat (3 grams of fat or less
per serving by law) or fat-free versions which may soften but not melt. That’s
because fat is integral to the flavor, texture and heating properties of
cheese.
Fat-free and
low-fat cheese is best left uncooked and layered in a sandwich or sprinkled on
a salad or taco where you won’t notice the different taste and texture but will
appreciate the protein and calcium.
Cooking with Reduced-Fat Cheese
Heat gently
as they don’t melt quite like full-fat cheese. In a microwave, heat cheeses at
50% power. Try them in fillings for omelets, quesadillas, enchiladas or
casseroles mixed with other ingredients. I layered sliced, reduced-fat
mozzarella, into a lightened eggplant parmesan with our rich-tasting homemade
tomato sauce and it was fine. Be aware that some fat-free cheese is actually
“pasteurized processed,” not natural cheese, which I avoid.
What about Sodium?
You can find
some lower-sodium cheeses as well as sodium- and fat-reduced cheese. Salt is
essential to the process of making natural cheese so it can’t be eliminated
completely, and salt substitutes have not proven acceptable. (Potassium
chloride leaves a bitter aftertaste.) Some cheeses are naturally low in sodium,
such as Swiss types (as low as 50 mg per serving), and some are naturally
higher, such as blue cheese (about 400 mg/serving). Unfortunately, some cheese
makers increase the sodium when the decrease the fat in cheese, presumably to
boost flavor. Others seem to add seasonings such as jalapeno to boost the
flavor – a better idea.
I can’t say
I’ve tried all the reduced-fat cheeses – there are too many out there – but
these are a few I like: Jarlsberg Lite; Kerrygold Reduced-Fat, Trader Joe’s
Light Sharp Celtic, Reduced-Fat Gouda and Reduced-Fat Feta; Finlandia brand
light cheeses (various flavors); Safeway brand sliced provolone, Tillamook
Reduced-Fat Medium Cheddar, Cabot Reduced Fat Cheddars. Sargento has an
impressive selection of sliced reduced-fat and reduced-sodium cheeses but I
have not seen many in my local markets.
I expect this
list of cheese to grow. Any suggestions?
Provided by
CAC Pine Lake Food Specialist Lorelle Del Matto MS, RD, CD
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