How to Eat Cheese on a Diet
Reduce your cheese intake to one ounce per day., Select low-fat cheeses when possible., Include cheese in your diet to enhance flavors., Try a dairy-free cheese substitute., Make your own non-dairy cheese.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Reduce your cheese intake to one ounce per day.
When planning your diet, avoid eating more than a single ounce of cheese each day.
This will allow you to enjoy the taste of cheese and benefit from its dietary strengths, without overindulging on fatty cheeses.Since cheeses come in different degrees of hardness, weight, and density, you can’t evaluate an ounce by volume.
Read the cheese’s packaging (including the daily serving size information) to estimate an ounce.
Most cheeses provide a daily serving size of slightly over an ounce (sometimes up to
1.5 ounces).
However, to start your diet, restrict yourself to an ounce of cheese a day. -
Step 2: Select low-fat cheeses when possible.
When planning your diet, be aware that an increase in dairy products (including cheese) often means an increase in unhealthy saturated fats.
To avoid this unhealthy form of fat, plan to eat low-fat cheeses whenever possible.
Low-fat cheese will allow you to still benefit from cheese’s many dietary strengths—including protein, magnesium, calcium, and vitamins A, D, and E—without consuming unhealthy levels of saturated fats.If you live near a large grocery store, you should be able to find plenty of low-fat cheese options.
When purchasing a cheese, be sure to examine the nutrition label on the back.
Look for cheeses that are low in saturated fats, as these pose more health risks than unsaturated fats. , Rather than looking to cheese as a main part of your daily diet, include cheeses for their distinct flavors.
Creamy or nutty cheeses work well in this capacity.This means that, instead of structuring your diet around cheese-heavy main dishes such as pizza, macaroni and cheese, and lasagna, look for dishes that include cheese as a garnish or topping.
Dishes can include salad (often topped with parmesan or feta), pasta, or fruits such as apples or tomatoes topped with a thin slice of cheese. , If you are lactose intolerant, or if your doctor has discouraged you from consuming dairy for any medical reason, you should avoid eating dairy-based cheeses.
However, there are a number of non-dairy, vegan, and paleo-friendly cheeses which you can eat instead.
Your local natural foods store should provide a number of cheese substitutes in its dairy aisle, including options by brands Field Roast and Follow Your Heart.High-quality non-dairy cheeses will taste similar to dairy-based cheese, and also can be sliced and shredded like dairy-based cheeses. , If you prefer to exclude dairy products (including cheese) from your diet altogether, you can still eat cheese alternatives by making your own.
Cheese substitutes are generally simple to make, and rely on non-dairy products such as soy protein, vegetable oil, nutritional yeast, or nuts to replicate the taste and texture of dairy-based cheeses.You can make non-dairy cheese to imitate most types of dairy cheese, including hard cheeses (such as cheddar) and softer cheeses (such as ricotta).
Look online for vegan, non-dairy cheese recipes: sites like Pinterest offer many options, and vegan-specific cooking sites will also provide tested recipes for cheese substitutes.
If you’re serious about making your own non-dairy cheese, see if your local natural foods store has a book section.
If so, they’ll likely have a book or two which provide multiple recipes for making non-dairy cheeses. -
Step 3: Include cheese in your diet to enhance flavors.
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Step 4: Try a dairy-free cheese substitute.
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Step 5: Make your own non-dairy cheese.
Detailed Guide
When planning your diet, avoid eating more than a single ounce of cheese each day.
This will allow you to enjoy the taste of cheese and benefit from its dietary strengths, without overindulging on fatty cheeses.Since cheeses come in different degrees of hardness, weight, and density, you can’t evaluate an ounce by volume.
Read the cheese’s packaging (including the daily serving size information) to estimate an ounce.
Most cheeses provide a daily serving size of slightly over an ounce (sometimes up to
1.5 ounces).
However, to start your diet, restrict yourself to an ounce of cheese a day.
When planning your diet, be aware that an increase in dairy products (including cheese) often means an increase in unhealthy saturated fats.
To avoid this unhealthy form of fat, plan to eat low-fat cheeses whenever possible.
Low-fat cheese will allow you to still benefit from cheese’s many dietary strengths—including protein, magnesium, calcium, and vitamins A, D, and E—without consuming unhealthy levels of saturated fats.If you live near a large grocery store, you should be able to find plenty of low-fat cheese options.
When purchasing a cheese, be sure to examine the nutrition label on the back.
Look for cheeses that are low in saturated fats, as these pose more health risks than unsaturated fats. , Rather than looking to cheese as a main part of your daily diet, include cheeses for their distinct flavors.
Creamy or nutty cheeses work well in this capacity.This means that, instead of structuring your diet around cheese-heavy main dishes such as pizza, macaroni and cheese, and lasagna, look for dishes that include cheese as a garnish or topping.
Dishes can include salad (often topped with parmesan or feta), pasta, or fruits such as apples or tomatoes topped with a thin slice of cheese. , If you are lactose intolerant, or if your doctor has discouraged you from consuming dairy for any medical reason, you should avoid eating dairy-based cheeses.
However, there are a number of non-dairy, vegan, and paleo-friendly cheeses which you can eat instead.
Your local natural foods store should provide a number of cheese substitutes in its dairy aisle, including options by brands Field Roast and Follow Your Heart.High-quality non-dairy cheeses will taste similar to dairy-based cheese, and also can be sliced and shredded like dairy-based cheeses. , If you prefer to exclude dairy products (including cheese) from your diet altogether, you can still eat cheese alternatives by making your own.
Cheese substitutes are generally simple to make, and rely on non-dairy products such as soy protein, vegetable oil, nutritional yeast, or nuts to replicate the taste and texture of dairy-based cheeses.You can make non-dairy cheese to imitate most types of dairy cheese, including hard cheeses (such as cheddar) and softer cheeses (such as ricotta).
Look online for vegan, non-dairy cheese recipes: sites like Pinterest offer many options, and vegan-specific cooking sites will also provide tested recipes for cheese substitutes.
If you’re serious about making your own non-dairy cheese, see if your local natural foods store has a book section.
If so, they’ll likely have a book or two which provide multiple recipes for making non-dairy cheeses.
About the Author
Samuel Watson
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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