It is fair to say that many low-carbers love cheese. And with good reason – it’s tasty and versatile both as a snack on it’s own and as an ingredient in many many dishes. The thing about cheese though is that it is not always as low in carbs as we might think and that means we have to be aware of what we are eating. That should be as simple as reading the label – but a bit of background knowledge can also pay dividends as this article from registered dietician Aglaee Jacob lets us know.
Most cheeses have a very low carb content.
Although some dairy products like milk and yogurt are high in carbs, the fermentation process required to produce cheese significantly reduces the amount of carbohydrates it contains to make it suitable for a low-carb diet. If you are also trying to increase your protein intake, some types of cheeses may be better options to add to your low-carb high-protein diet to help you meet your macronutrient goals.
Cheese with a low moisture content tends to contain more protein per serving. Parmesan cheese has the highest protein content of all all cheeses, with 10 grams of protein per ounce. Most other cheeses contain an average of 6 to 7 grams of protein per ounce, whether you choose cheddar, Brie, Gouda, blue cheese or mozzarella. Don’t rely on cheese spreads, cottage cheese and ricotta cheese to boost your protein intake because these foods have some of the lowest protein content, with less than 3 grams of protein per ounce.
The longer a cheese is aged, the lower its carbohydrate content will be. During the aging process, the bacteria ferment the carbohydrates found in milk to produce cheese. Avoid fresh cheeses, which still contain a significant portion of the carbohydrates naturally found in milk. The same cheeses that are high in protein also have the lowest carbohydrate content.
For example, Brie and goat cheese have 0.3 grams of carbs per ounce. Blue cheese and cheddar cheese have around 0.4 grams of carbs per ounce, and Parmesan cheese has about 0.9 grams in the same serving size. Foods containing less than 1 gram of carbohydrates per serving are considered to be very low in carbs.
To help you meet your goals in terms of macronutrient ratios, avoid cheese spreads, cream cheese, cottage cheese and ricotta cheese because… Read More
So there you have it. It’s well worth seeing what Alagee has to say and you’ll be that bit better equipped to take on the cheese.