The 6 Healthiest Types of Cheese

Many types of cheese can provide essential nutrients or provide various health benefits.

Cheese is a dairy product with hundreds of different textures and flavors.

It is produced by adding acid or bacteria to milk from various farm animals followed by aging or solidifying the milk.

The nutrition and taste of cheese depend on how it is produced and which milk is used.

Some people say cheese is high in fat, sodium, and calories. However, cheese is an excellent source of protein, calcium, and several other nutrients.

Cheese can help you lose weight and even prevent heart disease and osteoporosis. That said, some cheeses are more nutritious than others.

Here are 6 of the healthiest types of cheese.

• Blue cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Parmesan
• Swiss
• Goat

Blu cheese

Blue cheese is made from cow, goat, or sheep’s milk cured with cultures from the mold Penicillium.

It is typically white with blue or grey veins and spots. The mold that creates blue cheese gives it a distinctive odor and bold, tangy flavor.

Blue cheese is very nutritious and is a good source of calcium. One oz. of blue cheese made with whole milk contains.

• Calories: 100
• Protein: 6 g
• Fat: 8 g
• Carbs: 1 g
• Sodium: 14% of the DV
• Calcium: 12% of the DV

Since blue cheese is high in calcium, a nutrient necessary for optimal bone health, adding it to your diet may help prevent bone-related health issues.

Blue cheese tastes great on top of burgers, pizzas, and salads made with spinach, nuts, and apples or pears.

In fact, calcium deficiency may be linked to decreased bone strength and an increased risk of osteoporosis, which causes bones to become weak and brittle.

Blue cheese has distinctive blue or grey veins and a tangy taste. It’s a good source of calcium, which may promote bone health and help prevent osteoporosis.

Cottage cheese

Cottage cheese is a soft, white cheese made from the loose curds of cow’s milk. It’s thought to have originated in the United States.

Cottage cheese is much higher in protein than other cheeses. A 1/2-cup (110-g) serving of low-fat cottage cheese provides.

• Calories: 90
• Protein: 12 g
• Fat: 3 g
• Carbs: 5 g
• Sodium: 15% of the DV
• Calcium: 9% of the DV

Several studies indicate that eating high-protein foods like cottage cheese can increase feelings of fullness and help decrease overall calorie intake, which in turn may lead to weight loss.

Since cottage cheese is high in protein but low in calories, it is often recommended for weight loss.

Thus, adding cottage cheese to your diet may help you feel fuller after meals and reduce your calorie intake.

A study of 30 adults found that cottage cheese was just as filling as an omelet with a similar nutrient composition.

Thus, adding cottage cheese to your diet may help you feel fuller after meals and reduce your calorie intake.

It tastes great spread on toast, blended into smoothies, added to scrambled eggs, or used as the base for dips. Cottage cheese is a fresh, clumpy cheese that’s loaded with protein. Adding cottage cheese to your diet can help keep you full and may support weight management.

Parmesan cheese

Parmesan is a hard, aged cheese that has a gritty texture and a salty, nutty flavor. It’s made from raw, unpasteurized cow’s milk that’s aged for at least 12 months to kill harmful bacteria and produce a complex flavor.

The final product is loaded with nutrients. One oz. (28 g) of Parmesan cheese provides.

• Calories: 111
• Protein: 10 g
• Fat: 7 g
• Carbs: 1 g
• Sodium: 15% of the DV
• Calcium: 26% of the DV

A 1-oz. (28-g) serving also contains 16% of the DV for phosphorus.

Since Parmesan is rich in both calcium and phosphorus — nutrients that play a role in bone formation — it may promote bone health.

One 2014 study in around 5,000 adults found that higher dietary intakes of calcium and phosphorus were significantly associated with better bone mass in certain parts of the body — including the femur, the longest human bone.

Finally, since it is aged for a long time, Parmesan is very low in lactose and can usually be tolerated by most people who have lactose intolerance.

Grated Parmesan can be added to pasta and pizzas. You can also sprinkle it on eggs or spread slices on a cheese board with fruit and nuts.

Parmesan is a low-lactose cheese that’s high in calcium and phosphorus, which may promote bone health.

Swiss cheese

As the name suggests, Swiss cheese originated in Switzerland. This semi-hard cheese is normally made from cow’s milk and features a mild, nutty taste.

Its signature holes are formed by bacteria that release gases during the fermentation process.

One oz. (28 g) of Swiss cheese contains.

• Calories: 111
• Protein: 8 g
• Fat: 9 g
• Carbs: less than 1 g
• Sodium: 2% of the DV
• Calcium: 19% of the DV

Since it is lower in sodium than most other cheeses, Swiss cheese is often recommended for anyone who needs to monitor their salt intake, including people with high blood pressure.

What’s more, research shows that Swiss cheese hosts various compounds that inhibit the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) (28).

ACE narrows blood vessels and raises blood pressure in your body — so compounds that stifle it could theoretically help lower blood pressure (29).

However, studies on the effects of other types of cheese that contain compounds that can inhibit ACE have found no effect on blood pressure (30).

Furthermore, more research is needed, as there are no studies on the effects of Swiss cheese on blood pressure specifically.

To incorporate Swiss cheese into your diet, you can eat it with fruit or add it to sandwiches, egg bakes, burgers, and French onion soup.

Goat cheese

Goat cheese, also known as chèvre, is a tangy, soft cheese made from goat’s milk.

It’s available in several forms, including spreadable logs, crumbles, and varieties made to resemble Brie.

Goat cheese is highly nutritious, with 1 oz. (28 g) providing.

• Calories: 75
• Protein: 5 g
• Fat: 6 g
• Carbs: 0 g
• Sodium: 6% of the DV
• Calcium: 3% of the DV

In addition, goat’s milk has more medium-chain fatty acids than cow’s milk. These types of fat are rapidly absorbed in your body and less likely to be stored as fat.

Furthermore, goat cheese may be easier for some people to digest than cheese made from cow’s milk. This may be because goat’s milk is lower in lactose and contains different proteins.

In particular, goat cheese contains A2 casein, which may be less inflammatory and less likely to cause digestive discomfort than the A1 casein found in cow’s milk.

Crumbled goat cheese can be added to salads, pizzas, and eggs. What’s more, whipped goat cheese makes a delicious dip for fruit or vegetables.

Goat cheese is lower in lactose and contains proteins that may be more easily digested than those in cheeses from cow’s milk.