Despite all the bad press cheese has gotten over the years, it can be part of a healthy lifestyle. You can enjoy any cheese that fits your preferences, cultural background, and dietary needs.
Still, some types of cheese are healthier than others. Here are the cheeses registered dietitians recommend most and how to incorporate them into a nutritious diet.
7 of the Healthiest Cheeses
“While you can work most types of cheese into a healthy diet, the types that are a bit higher in protein, lower in fat and sodium, and those that provide a good source of calcium are the types I recommend most often,” says Laura M. Ali, RD, a registered dietitian and culinary nutritionist in Pittsburgh.
Keep in mind: A little goes a long way. “While most cheese is a good source of protein and is nutrient-rich, it is also high in calories and fat,” Ali says.
She recommends sticking to a 1 ounce (oz) serving of cheese, the equivalent of four dice put together. But some cheeses, like cottage cheese, have naturally larger serving sizes. (One ounce of cottage cheese, for example, would equal only a ⅛ cup.)
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So, check the product label for the recommended serving size.
Here are seven of the healthiest cheese options.
1. Cottage Cheese
With the fanfare for cottage cheese lately, it would be tough to leave this creamy, spoonable cheese off our list. “Cottage cheese is my top choice of cheese,” says E.A. Stewart, RDN, the founder of Spicy RD Nutrition in San Diego. “It’s very high in protein, a good source of calcium, and is available in low- and nonfat options,” she says.
One cup of low-fat cottage cheese, for example, provides 185 calories, 25 grams (g) of protein, and 233 milligrams (mg) of calcium.
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That’s 18 percent of the daily value (DV) for calcium, making it a good source of the mineral that supports bone health and muscle and nerve function.
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Note that some cottage cheese is high in sodium, with about 725 mg or nearly one-third of the DV of sodium per cup.
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Excess sodium intake over time can contribute to high blood pressure (hypertension), a risk factor for heart disease.
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To reduce this risk, look for low-sodium or no-salt-added varieties.
2. Parmesan
This hard, flavorful option is on Ali’s list of recommended cheeses. “It contains very little lactose, so people with lactose intolerance may be able to enjoy a little without GI issues,” she says. (Lactose intolerance is when your digestive system struggles to digest lactose, the sugar in milk, leading to symptoms like diarrhea and gas.)
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That said, everyone has a different level of tolerance, so pay attention to how your body reacts after eating Parmesan.
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Parmesan is also rich in calcium, with 335 mg or 26 percent of your DV per 1 oz serving — higher than many others on this list.
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As a bonus, you don’t need a hefty serving to enjoy Parmesan. “It has excellent flavor, so a little goes a long way,” Stewart says. This may help keep portion sizes under control.
3. Feta
Feta is a white semisoft cheese that originated in Greece.
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Stewart favors its rich flavor and lower saturated fat content compared with other cheeses.One ounce of feta provides 75 calories, 4 g of protein, and less than 4 g of saturated fat.
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Compare that to an ounce of cheddar, which has 5.4 g of saturated fat (and 115 calories).
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It’s recommended that adults get less than 6 percent of their daily calories from saturated fat, which equals about 13 g per 2,000 calories.
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Reducing saturated fat intake is an essential part of maintaining healthy levels of cholesterol (a waxy substance found in cells); a diet high in saturated fat is linked to heart disease.
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Stewart cautions that feta contains sodium — 323 mg or 14 percent of DV per ounce.
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So, be sure to factor that into your overall sodium consumption that day.
4. Goat Cheese
Goat cheese is a pungent, flavorful cheese that’s available in soft, semihard, and hard consistencies. Ali notes it’s also lower in calories, fat, and sodium than other types of cheese.
While 1 oz of soft goat cheese clocks in at 75 calories and 6 g of fat, you may need just a fraction of that to add that pleasantly funky taste to a salad, grain dish, or pasta.
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5. Swiss
Swiss is an aged cheese that’s not heated after processing, which means it holds onto probiotics. These are healthy microorganisms living in the gut that can improve or maintain digestive health.
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It’s also high in protein, with 8 g per 1 oz serving (that’s twice the amount in feta). Yet Swiss is relatively low in sodium, clocking in at only 53 mg (the lowest on this list).
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An ounce of Swiss cheese also provides 111 calories, 163 mg of phosphorus (13 percent of DV), and 252 mg of calcium (19 percent of DV).
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The combination of calcium and phosphorus helps keep bones strong.
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6. Part-Skim Mozzarella
Mozzarella is a mild cheese that is just as perfect on pizza as it is on sandwiches and salads. “Part-skim mozzarella is a good choice because of its nutrition, taste, versatility, and lower fat content compared with other hard or semihard cheeses,” says Stewart. One ounce provides 72 calories, 7 g of protein, 4.5 g of fat (nearly 3 g from saturated), and 222 mg of calcium (17 percent of DV).
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Another plus for mozzarella is its low sodium content. At 175 mg per 1 oz serving, that’s only about 7 percent of the DV, making this one of the lower-sodium choices.
7. Part-Skim Ricotta
If you have high cholesterol (or you’re at greater risk for it), it’s important to moderate your cheese intake and opt for lower-fat cheeses, advises Stewart. That’s because saturated fat can raise levels of “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, gumming up your arteries and potentially harming your heart.
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Creamy, mild part-skim ricotta can hit on both these points.Add ricotta as a 1 oz dollop to foods like berries, toast, or pasta. This dollop will boost the protein in your meal by more than 3 g, with just 39 calories, nearly 1.5 g of saturated fat and 28 mg of sodium.
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The Takeaway
- Cheese provides protein and calcium, and registered dietitians say it can be part of a healthy, balanced diet.
- Look for cheeses that fit your nutritional needs, such as those higher in protein and calcium and lower in fat, calories, and sodium.
- Cheese is calorie-dense and can be high in saturated fat and sodium. Stick to 1 oz portions or check the product label for the serving size.
