Cheese is one of the most debated topics in the fitness and dieting industry, with many people saying that you should avoid all types of cheese when you are on a diet. However, this is not the case, and there are certain cheeses that you could add.
Can you eat cheese on the Mediterranean diet?
The simple answer is yes. You should be able to eat cheese on the Mediterranean, and you will find that you will need to choose the right cheese. Cottage cheese is one of the best options on the market today. Not only is it low in fat and calories, but it packs a solid punch when it comes to making sure you get plenty of protein.
To ensure that you don’t get lost and find the right cheese options for your diet, we will use this article to share some tips. These tips and different cheese types can be easily incorporated into your Mediterranean diet. However, you might need to make changes and cut other food if you add plenty of cheese.
Can You Eat Cheese On The Mediterranean Diet?
In terms of adding value and taste to your meals, cheese is one of the best ingredients for you to add. However, not all cheeses are created equally, and you will need to make sure that you find the right cheeses for your meals. Here is a shortlist of cheeses that you should potentially avoid when on the Mediterranean diet:
- Cheddar
- Sweet milk
- Gouda
- American Cheese
- Canned Cheese
- Any processed cheese
While there are many more, these are the most common cheeses that you will come across. As you will notice, you should avoid consuming any processed cheeses or cheeses that you buy in a can. These cheeses have plenty of additives, and they often have a very high-fat content that you will need to avoid.
When looking for cheeses that you can eat on the Mediterranean diet, you should consider cheeses that are native to the area. Cheeses that are commonly found in those regions should be great. However, it would be best if you did not eat too much cheese to make it easier to stay within your calorie count.
5 Ways To Make Cheese Mediterranean
Now that you have a better idea of what to look for in different cheeses, we should also consider how you can make cheese more Mediterranean diet. The great part is that many of these cheeses are already Mediterranean. Here is what you need to know about adding cheese to your Mediterranean and make your life easier:
Consider Healthier Cheeses
One of the first things you will need to change your diet and the cheese you currently consume. If you are eating any cheese, you should consider switching to healthier options. As mentioned, cheeses that you find native to the Mediterranean area should be some of the best options to choose from.
White cheeses are often much lower in fat content than your standard yellow cheeses. These include feta cheese and cottage cheese. We would always recommend that you make cottage cheese one of the primary cheese for your diet to ensure that you don’t eat too many calories.
Consider Cheese As A Treat
If you still want to consume some of your favorite cheeses, you should not consider them a staple of your diet. It is far better if you consume it as a treat and only add it on days when you have some calories left on your diet. This will ensure that you get your filling, and you will not exceed the calorie count that could gain you some weight.
Once again, we would like to emphasize that you should consider some of the healthier cheese options. Feta and cottage cheese are not as high in fat content, and this will make them great additions to your meals.
Avoid Processed Cheeses
While it can be easy to buy cheese that is already processed and add it to your diet, it is not the healthiest way for you to go. It should be much healthier for you to buy the raw cheese and add it to your meals like you feel it is necessary.
The downside of adding processed cheeses to your meals is that you will not know all the ingredients that have been added to the cheese you buy. Canned cheese might be easy to use, and it should be a great option for your meals. However, the downside is that these cheeses are packed full of fat and sodium.
Consider Healthier Foods With Your Cheese
Instead of eating a pizza with plenty of other unhealthy ingredients, you should consider looking for healthy foods. If you have a real craving for cheese, you might want to consider adding it to one of the vegetable meals. The great thing about the vegetable is the fiber, and this will automatically force you to consume less.
However, you might want to consume raw cheese, and when you choose to eat it in the raw cheese form, you should consider monitoring the calories and making sure that you don’t exceed your daily limit.
Creating Your Cheese Spreads
The flavor of the cheese is what many people desire, and cheese spread is one of the most popular foods. However, you don’t need to go to the store to buy a cheese spread. We would recommend that you consider making your cheese spread. This will give you control over the cheese type and the ingredients you put in.
Cheese On The Mediterranean Diet Summary
Cheese is one of the best ingredients that you could add to almost any meal you desire. A great cheese can spice up every meal, but you need to be cautious and ensure that you choose healthy cheese options. We would love to know some of the tips that you have for making cheese more Mediterranean diet-friendly.
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