Is cheese good for you

Is cheese good for you
Is cheese good for you

Is cheese good for you? Cheese is full of saturated fats, calories, and large amounts of salt and you don’t want to get too much of this. Only on this basis can you say that cheese is anything but healthy, but there are alternatives and yet cheese can also be regarded as healthy. It contains many good and essential proteins and most cheeses also contain different types of vitamins and minerals. These properties are beneficial as a building material for body cells. This gives the cheese a healthy character. Do not only eat cheese for these nutrients or proteins, because you can get it better from products such as meat, fish, nuts, or egg.

Many people consume a large amount of cheese throughout the year and we have been doing this for many years. Long before Christ, cheese was produced and consumed. At that time this was mainly done because there was a milk surplus and something had to be done to be able to store the milk for a long time. Today it is mainly eaten because it is tasty. We mainly eat cheese as a sandwich spread, but it is also regularly eaten as a snack.

 

Different types of cheese

There are different types of cheese on the market and each cheese has its own taste, as well as different nutrients. The cheeses can be classified by maturity and vary from 4 weeks to at least a year. Although these values ​​are not officially fixed, the figures below give a good picture of the different types of cheeses:

  • Young cheese: matured for 4 weeks
  • Young matured cheese: matured for 8 – 10 weeks
  • Matured cheese: matured for 4 – 5 months
  • Extra matured cheese: matured for 7-8 months
  • Old cheese: matured for 10 – 12 months
  • Old cheese: matured for at least 12 months

In addition to the ripening time, the type of milk that is used also influences the taste. They mainly use cow’s milk, but there are also cheeses made from goat’s, sheep’s, buffalo, camel’s and horse’s milk. From 10 liters of milk, you can make about 1 kilo of cheese, in which milk is the basis.

Low-fat cheese

There is a healthier alternative if you still want to eat cheese. You can also eat low-fat cheese. That is why there are also special 20+ kinds of cheese for sale that are low in salt. You could therefore eat this type of cheese more often. However, be careful which 20+ cheese you purchase, because certainly, not all types will contain little salt. A 20+ or ​​a 30+ cheese also contains much less fat than regular cheese, but it is still quite unhealthy.

Type of cheese Water in percent Fat in percent
20+ lean 47% 11%
30+ low in fat 47% 16%
35+ low fat 46% 19%
40+ less fat 44% 23%
45+ less fat 43% 26%
48+ full fat 42% 28%
60+ cream cheese 40% 36%

As can be seen in the overview above, a 20+ already contains 11% fat, and this increases to 36% with a 60+ cheese. Imagine having covered all your cheese sandwiches. In such a case, cheese is certainly not healthy, because it also gives you a large amount of fat and salt.

Also read this: Is milk good for you?

However, cheese is healthy if you eat it in moderation and this is mainly due to the nutrients it contains. With a maximum of 1.5 slices per day, there are no health risks. This maximum is also indicated by the nutrition center.

Alternatives

You could also turn to organic stores or specialty stores to buy healthy cheese. Usually, a more expensive cheese is also a healthier cheese. By healthier cheese, we mean a cheese with more nutrients per kilo. You will have to invest a little extra money to be able to consume cheese in a healthy and responsible way. Another option for topping your bread is peanut butter. Peanut butter is a great alternative to cheese because it contains a lot of vegetable, unsaturated fats. There are also many essential nutrients in peanut butter. Make sure you don’t spread too much on your sandwich, because it does contain a lot of calories.

Milk instead of cheese?

It is also sometimes stated that you could drink milk just as well as eat cheese. This is really not true. Cheese has very different properties that can make a major contribution to your health. Is cheese good for you? yes, this keeps teeth healthier and stronger when you often eat cheese instead of milk. This is due to the phosphorus that it contains. Furthermore, lactose also helps what is both. However, a young cheese contains much more lactose than an older cheese. In other words, a young cheese is better for your teeth than milk.

A nice sandwich with melted cheese or a toasted sandwich, but is melted cheese now also unhealthier? No! It seems unhealthy because the fat is immediately visible, but it does not matter.

All in all, we can say that eating cheese can be healthy. However, it should be consumed in moderation and preferably a young, low-salt cheese. It’s good for your body and your teeth.

Abbas Jahangir

I am a researcher and writer with a background in food and nutritional science. I am the founder of Foodstrend.com, our reputable online platform offering scientifically-backed articles on health, food, nutrition, kitchen tips, recipes, diet, and fitness. With a commitment to providing accurate and reliable information, we strive to empower our readers to make informed decisions about their health and lifestyle choices. Join us on Foodstrend.com's journey toward a healthier and happier lifestyle.

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