Mmm.. cheese

Is there anyone who doesn't love cheese?? It has to be one of the best tasting foods on Earth. Some people are picky about their cheese. You know the type- they don't like bleu cheese or they don't like goat cheese, or they don't like orange cheese (yeah, Ma, I'm talking about you). My feelings towards cheese are like Violet Beauregarde's towards gum: if it's cheese, it's for me.

Sadly, as a student of nutrition, my infatuation is somewhat tempered by an ugly mole on the otherwise flawless face of cheese: saturated fat. Not to mention the calories that this excess saturated fat provides. Most cheese has about 100 calories per ounce (about 1/4 cup shredded or the size of 4 dice). It is practically unavoidable. What gives cheese its full-bodied flavor and creamy mouthfeel is fat. Most of the fat in cheese is saturated, as is much of the fat from animal sources, be they meat or dairy. The only way to get around the saturated fat in dairy products is to choose fat-free or low-fat versions. I think this works pretty well when it comes to yogurt and milk. The difference between whole milk and 1% is noticeable, but not intolerable. Ditto for yogurt. Even lower-fat ice cream and frozen yogurt is still pretty darn tasty! Not so with cheese. Fat-free cheese is out there, but have you tried it?? It bears more resemblance to rubber than it does to actual food.

But fear not, I have some solutions to offer. Over the years, I have tried many different kinds of cheese-full fat and reduced fat- and have come up with the following guidelines for including cheese in your diet without breaking your calorie budget or clogging your arteries.

Eat full fat, but in small portions:

These cheeses are so full of flavor, you can reduce the portion (1/2 oz. - 1 oz. per sitting) and hardly notice.

Parmesan cheese - I especially recommend the pricier parmigiano reggiano. Buy a wedge of it and shave with a potato peeler over a salad or grate into recipes. It keeps for a long time in the fridge and can also be frozen for a longer shelf life.

Bleu cheese- A little bit of this goes a long way. But be wary of ordering salads topped with bleu cheese at restaurants. You can easily get 400 calories or more of the stuff. Either ask for less cheese or, if you can trust yourself, push some of it aside before you dig in.

Sharp cheddar- I find that a mere tablespoon (~25 calories) of extra sharp cheddar cheese adds an amazing flavor to my scrambled eggs.

Eat reduced-fat versions:

These are some taste-tested (by me and the hubs) lower-calorie cheese items

Sargento reduced-fat string cheese and colby/jack cheese sticks- when it comes to string cheese, there's really no point in buying the full-fat kind. The lower-fat versions almost always taste perfectly good. This brand seems to be the best of them all, in part because it also melts well. Why would this matter? Well just imagine you want to melt some cheese on.... something.. and all you have is string cheese. If it doesn't melt well, you're screwed, aren't you?! Hey, it's happened to me. Now if I can just stop hearing the Kermit-the-frog-like voice of the guy in the Sargento commercials everytime I buy it, I'd be good.

Laughing Cow light babybel and wedge cheese- Laughing Cow really knows what they're doing when it comes to light cheese. The babybels are great for eating by themselves and the wedges are delicious on crackers or spread on bagels, or vegetables, or pretty much anything! If you're my husband, you might just the eat the wedge as-is too, but I still think that's taking it a little too far. It's not unlike eating cream cheese with a spoon out of the tub. :-/

Cabot 75% reduced-fat varieties- This is about as good as it's going to get for a very low-fat cheese. And it melts well considering its fat content.

Finally, I have a special section for the best cheese ever made:

Burrata mozzarella- since my vacation to Vegas, where I was first introduced to this cheese, I have begun a love affair that I think will last a lifetime. This is a type of fresh mozzarella that has cream added to it so that it is extraordinarily creamy and delicious. I thought for sure this cheese would be twice as high in calories and fat as regular mozzarella and the truth is, I didn't care. It was worth it. BUT, as it turns out, by some miracle performed by superhero cheesemakers, burrata is actually LOWER in fat and calories than traditional mozzarella. Most fresh mozzarella has 80 calories and 6g of fat (4g saturated) per ounce. Burrata has only 60 calories and I can't tell you how much fat because I (stupidly!) threw the darn package away already and I can't remember. But I'm sure it was less. It is hard to find, but gourmet Italian food stores (like Liuzzi cheese in North Haven, CT) may have it. Try it. You won't regret it.