We can probably all say we have a soft spot for cheese! With so many varieties, how are we supposed to know which cheese is best for us? While cheese is a great source of protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A and vitamin B12, it can also provide a lot of calories and artery-clogging fat if you don’t choose low-fat varieties. So if you’re trying to maintain weight or lose weight, definitely be careful of your cheese choices!
Some of the cheeses that are slightly lower in fat and calories include feta, mozzarella, parmesan, swiss, brie, ricotta and cottage cheese. Always remember to keep your portions in check though, if you eat too much of any of these they can add up, just as any food that you overeat can. That’s why we love parmesan—grate a tad on a meal and you get a ton of flavor for just a few measly calories!
Of course, if you choose to go for a low-fat variety of any cheese some of the fat will have been skimmed out. This means that a good deal of the calories will be cut with it. Obviously this helps to keep the calories in check too. This is the route we typically go.
With all this talk about cheese, it makes us want to whip up a healthy recipe with some cheese! Here’s a simple, delish cottage cheese veggie dip with 120 calories and 14 grams of protein in the entire recipe, it only takes 5 minutes!
Lemon Pepper Cottage Cheese Veggie Dip
Ingredients
- ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese
- ¼ tsp lemon pepper
- ½ cup each baby carrots and snap peas
Directions
- Combine cottage cheese and lemon pepper. Serve with the carrots and peas.
- What are some of your favorite cheesy foods?
Recipe from: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/cottage_cheese_veggie_dip.html