Introduction
Cheese is a delicious and versatile food that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. But if you’re trying to watch your waistline, you may be wondering what eating cheese does to your waistline. While cheese can be a nutritious part of a balanced diet, it can also be high in calories and fat, so it’s important to be mindful of how much you’re eating. In this article, we’ll discuss the nutritional value of cheese, how it affects your waistline, and tips for making healthier cheese choices.
What Eating Cheese Does to Your Waistline
Cheese is a delicious and versatile food that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. But if you’re trying to watch your waistline, you may be wondering if cheese is a good choice. The good news is that cheese can be part of a healthy diet, as long as you choose the right types and amounts.
The Benefits of Eating Cheese
Cheese is a great source of protein, calcium, and other essential vitamins and minerals. It can also help you feel full and satisfied, which can help you stick to a healthy eating plan. Eating cheese can also help you get enough calcium, which is important for strong bones and teeth.
The Downsides of Eating Cheese
Cheese is high in calories and fat, so it’s important to watch your portion sizes. Eating too much cheese can lead to weight gain, which can increase your risk of developing health problems such as heart disease and diabetes. Cheese is also high in sodium, so it’s important to choose low-sodium varieties.
Tips for Eating Cheese in a Healthy Way
If you want to enjoy cheese without compromising your waistline, here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Choose low-fat or reduced-fat varieties of cheese.
- Opt for low-sodium varieties of cheese.
- Watch your portion sizes. A serving of cheese is about the size of your thumb.
- Enjoy cheese as part of a balanced meal that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Limit your intake of processed cheese products, such as cheese slices and cheese spreads.
Eating cheese can be part of a healthy diet, as long as you choose the right types and amounts. By following these tips, you can enjoy cheese without compromising your waistline.
Cheese is everywhere. It’s on your pasta, in your omelet, shoved into a sandwich, and can even be sprinkled on your salads. Because there are so many types of cheese to choose from, it’s easy to incorporate a slice, crumble, sprinkle, or shred into your dishes throughout the day—every day. Although cheese gets both a good and bad rap as far as affecting your health goes, if you’re looking to lose weight, you may be wondering what the dairy product could do to your waistline.
According to one of the registered dietitians on our medical expert board, Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, author of Finally Full, Finally Slim and The Portion Teller Plan, cheese can have both a positive and negative impact on your waistline.
“Cheese can be both good for your waistline or bad, depending on how you include it in your diet,” explains Dr. Young.
Sign up for our newsletter!
Let’s start with the positives.
When discussing the positives, cheese can provide you with two benefits: protein and aiding in weight loss.
“For the positive, cheese is a good source of protein which helps keep you satisfied, so a little goes a long way,” says Dr. Young. “And if you’re watching weight, part-skim is best.”
Protein takes longer to digest than carbs, so it stays in your stomach longer, making you feel fuller for an extended period of time. This may help you avoid any unwanted snacking or overeating in your next meal, which are two factors that may lead to potential weight gain.
If you’re looking for a cheese rich in protein, try low-fat cottage cheese. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one cup contains about 24 grams of protein. It makes for a great breakfast option or snack throughout the day.
If you’re looking for part-skim, part-skim mozzarella cheese comes in at about 20 grams of protein per cup.
Otherwise, Young suggests adding an ounce or two of cheese to a salad. Or, on top of a slice of toast.
However, too much cheese can cause the opposite effect.
“For the con, the calories in cheese add up quickly, so watch your portion and stick to one to two ounces, or two fingers worth,” says Dr. Young. “Cheese can add to weight gain when you nibble mindlessly on cheese at a cocktail party or you cut slice after slice.”
An example would be consuming two slices of Boar’s Head White American Cheese, which equals 110 calories. Although it may not seem like a lot at first glance, think about how often you add cheese to your meal. Whether it be adding it to your sandwich, or topping it onto a bowl of pasta, it adds up.
Furthermore, in a study published in the journal, Nutrients, an excess amount of dairy intake, which includes cheese, has been shown to increase body weight in adults aged 18 to 50 years old.
Young also suggests not adding cheese to your meal when eating other protein-rich foods.
“For example, skip the cheese on a burger or a Turkey sandwich,” she suggests. “Or, if you have a salad with egg and beans, skip the cheese.”
Kayla Garritano