Can you still eat cheese and lose weight?

If you’re on a diet but you’ve been feeling guilty about that cheese-heavy pizza from the weekend, then we’re here to reassure you: you don’t have to give up cheese! In fact, did you know that cheese can actually help you to lose weight? Now we’re not sure about you ladies, but that’s music to our ears! The key to losing weight and maintaining it is creating a healthy diet that is long term sustainable. Cheese is a nutrient-rich food that you can still eat whilst on a diet; you just need to watch out for your portion sizes because it’s high in calories. However, it’s also got decent protein, so you could end up losing weight because you’ll be fuller and more satisfied after cheese!

Let’s talk about cheese

As we said, cheese is a calorie-dense food, which means even small portions of cheese are high in calories. How many calories are in cheese? - A single 1-ounce slice of cheddar cheese has 115 calories - Goats cheese, gouda, Parmesan, and Roquefort have more than 100 calories per ounce. - Feta has 75 calories per ounce - Ricotta has 42 calories per ounce - Cottage cheese has 28 calories per ounce. To help you put this into perspective, 1 ounce of tomato has five calories. Because of the calorie density, the USDA recommends limiting your consumption of hard cheeses like cheddar, goats cheese, gouda, Parmesan and Roquefort to 1.5 ounces per day. However, you can eat more of the lower-calorie, soft cheeses. The USDA recommends having no more than half a cup of ricotta a day or 2 cups of cottage cheese.

Cheese and weight gain

Generally, diets have recommended that you avoid cheese because it’s much more calorie-dense than, say, fruits and vegetables. However, even though it has a high-fat content, it doesn’t mean that you should cut out cheese completely.

A recent study revealed that the consumption of high-fat dairy products was linked to a lower risk of weight gain and obesity compared to low-fat dairy products. As surprising as this might be to you, this survey isn’t alone! Another older survey had similar findings! So, just because you’re on a diet, it doesn’t mean that you need to avoid cheese to lose weight! The age-old mantra of ‘everything in moderation’ comes into play here.

Good things about cheese

Cheese has a bit of a bad reputation, and it can get a bad rap for ruining our health. But cheese is an excellent source of numerous vitamins and minerals like: - calcium - protein - vitamin A - vitamin B-12 - phosphorus - potassium - zinc Plus, research has suggested that we tend to burn more fat when our bodies get enough calcium. And as cheese is protein-rich, it boosts your metabolism and reduces your appetite, aiding your weight loss goals. But wait, there’s more!

You can also build muscle when you consume dairy products, and this is because of cheese’s Vit D content, which is excellent for your hormonal health and, in turn, boosts weight loss. Even when we’re dieting, we still need some fat to help us feel satisfied, although you want to keep saturated fat to below 7% of your total daily calories.

How to lose weight and still eat cheese

So, how can you lose weight whilst still eating cheese? We’re glad you asked! Here are our top tips for losing weight without ditching cheese.

Choose cheese for its flavor

If you’re after that nutty flavor of cheese, then go for a strong cheese like Parmesan or blue cheese because a little will go a long way. But if you prefer a milder flavor, opt for feta, ricotta, or cottage cheese, which will give you that milder, creamy taste but with fewer calories per ounce.

Choose low-fat cheese

Hear us out here. Use full-fat dairy when you can experience the flavor of cheese and enjoy it. In sandwiches and tacos, skip the cheese because you have the other flavors to make up for it. But switch to low-fat cheese when recipes call for ricotta, mozzarella, or cottage cheese. Opt for low-fat cream cheese and top your bagels to save 3g of fat and 20 calories per tbsp when you're baking.

Use cheese instead of mayo

Many of us love that creamy mayonnaise taste in our sandwiches, but instead, put a slice of cheese. One tablespoon of full-fat mayo has 94 calories and 10g of fat.

Alternatively, low-fat cream cheese has just 30 calories and 2.5g of fat.

Switch to feta for your salads and pizzas

In the Mediterranean, they love feta. And it’s not hard to see why, as well as being delicious, it offers health benefits like good heart health and a lower fat content than regular cheese. Plus, you just need a small amount to get that cheesy flavor into your salads.

Choose cottage cheese

Cottage cheese isn’t only a rich source of protein, but it’s also super delicious! Plus, it’s one of the lowest calorie-dense cheeses. So, there you have it, ladies; you don’t have to kill those cheese cravings altogether. Just make a few slight adjustments and swaps, and you’re good to go!

Ready to hit your weight loss goals?

We hope that cheesy-related information will help you to boost your weight loss efforts without the guilt of loving a bit of cheese! Have you also thought about how Trimtone could support your healthy living goals? Our carefully created formula is made from 100% natural ingredients and works hard to reduce your appetite, boost your metabolism, and melt away fat!