Few things make our hearts sing quite like cheese. While it’s a great source of calcium and protein, certain types can be super high in saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol.
The American Heart Association recommends that adults have 2-3 servings a day of fat-free or low-fat dairy products. So, which cheeses make the cut? Here are 9 of the healthiest picks.
A half-cup serving of cottage cheese boasts 13 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat (only 2 of which are saturated) and 9 percent of your daily calcium.
COTTAGE CHEESE
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1
Whole-milk ricotta has about 215 calories per half-cup, 16 grams of fat, 14 grams of protein and more than a quarter of your daily recommended calcium.
RICOTTA
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2
One ounce of fresh mozzarella only contains 84 calories, 6 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat and 6 grams of protein.
MOZZARELLA
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3
Traditionally, feta is made from sheep’s milk but you can also find goat or cow milk variations at the supermarket. Plus t’s super low-calorie.
FETA
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4
In a single-ounce serving, Swiss clocks in at 108 calories, 8 grams of fat (5 saturated), 8 grams of protein and 22% of your daily calcium.
SWISS CHEESE
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5
Provolone is aged for 4+ months before it hits shelves, so it’s packed with more salt than many fresh & soft cheeses. 1 ounce has 10% of your daily sodium.
PROVOLONE
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6
Parmesan has notably more salt than our other picks at 16 percent of your daily sodium per serving, as well as 7 grams of fat and 10 grams of protein.
PARMESAN
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7
The light reduced-fat version has 88 calories, 6 grams of fat, 8 grams of protein & 22 percent of your daily calcium per one-ounce piece.
REDUCED-FAT CHEDDAR
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8
Goats cheese is calorically on-par with feta plus an extra gram of protein per ounce (5 grams total).