So there seems to be a stigma about cheese that it is fatty and bad for you. Well yes, it has a decent amount of fat in it, and in excess, yes it could cause some weight gain. However, that does'nt mean that you can never eat it. Just like most food products, epsecially really tasty ones, you just have to eat in moderation. As a person who has eaten mostly vegetarian for 13 years I have relied on cheese as a staple of my diet. Like having beans or pasta with cheese, or even a cheese sandwich. Mmm... grilled cheese, which I have had two days in a row.
So yes cheese has fat, but it also has protien which for a vegetarian this is very important. 1/3 of a cup of shredded sharp cheddar has 110 calories, 9 grams of fat and 7 grams of protien.
One thing that kind of baffled me was this.
I posted a facebook comment a while back saying I was having steamed broccoli with some sharp cheddar on top. Which by the way was delicious!!! I received several replies to it about how it was no longer healthy with cheese or that they were on a diet and could'nt have cheese. Well, all I have to say is they sure are missing out. And for the record I only had about two tablespoons of cheese which was roughly about a third of a normal serving (which was 1/3 cup @ 110 calories) so I only added 37 calories to my meal.
Since I am on the topic of cheese I think this is a good time to say how much I LOVE CHEESE!!!! It is amazing how many different varieties of cheese there are out there. Cheese is also a good way to add some great flavor to food. For example: two tablespoons of sharp shredded cheddar on top of steamed broccoli with just a sprinkle of salt. The cheese is so flavorful you don't even need butter. Or, a small tub of gorgonzola cheese crumbles (about 4 ounces) to a batch of homemade mac n cheese adds a huge boost in flavor.
I could go on and on and on about cheese, but I will refarin for now. Don't be surprised though to see many more posts in the future abotu it ;)
Lastly, if you are intersted in checking out some new cheeses some great places to go are Trader Joes, Whole Foods and Fred Meyer. They all have a good variety to choose from in various prices ranges. ANother of my favorites I suggest tryign is Cotswold cheese. It's an english cheese with onians and chives in it. It is really flavorful so jsut a few small pieces along with some crackers and some fruit is all you need and a healthy snack too ;p
3 comments:
I love this post about Cheese. I hope you will have more cheese receipe for the Italian Pastas dishes.
Oh you better believe it!! I love cheese and eat it often, so I will definitly share some more in the future. Thanks for your comment Christine!!
Haha That was cute Ray!!! :) Its true! I've ALWAYS loved cheese!!! I can, thank God eat goat and sheep milk cheese? Good romano is made with sheep milk, which you've prolly had. :) But there are actually some really delicious cheeses available now in the US, a lot of European cheeses are made with goat and sheep milk. They are definitely more robust and at times pungent, but very good and even good for grilled cheese! :)
It is also true that you can have cheese and lose weight, losing weight permanantly is about making a change in your diet, NOT being ona diet. :) haha
God Bless ~Amy
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