"ode to cheese" made me smile. :) I love cheese. I'm eating a slightly restricted amount of calories, but I do make sure to include one serving a day. besides being delicious, it has protein and much needed calcium. who could say no to that? my favorite is cheese and crackers- basically any kind. I also often eat a bagel with cream cheese (if this counts. mb some will say its too fake..)

Cheese is my main weakness and there was no way I was giving it up all together but I did cut waaaayyyyyy back. No nachos or grilled cheese sandwiches in over a year now. *sob* My fridge's cheese drawer is still filled with cheeses (smoked gouda, cheddar, parm, pecorino, pepper-jack, laughing cow, feta, and yes, brie) and I do have some every few days but rarely more then a single, sad ounce. I love the feta for a number of reasons, aside from the fact I'm part greek & grow up with it I love the strong flavor, you don't need to use a lot to taste it. I put it in salads, dips, & soups to add a little salt and yummy cheese fat. :)

Although I'm mindful of the calories from cheese, the fat content is very low on my list of worries.  Bits of cheese are regularly part of my meals.  They enhance many dishes.  This morning's extra sharp cheddar with my eggs certainly made them better.

Punawild, Laughing Cow does not qualify as a cheese, at least not in countries that know their cheeses;-)

I was laughing really hard at the description of your friend, I am French Canadian and we are identical in the sense of cheeses (and here we play with maple syrup in cheeses, maple butter spread, tire sur neige [a type of boiled maple syrup on snow that turns to toffee and such..] etc!)

Therefore, growing up in a family where cheese is one of the main appetizers or end-of-meal snacks, I know exactly what you are talking about.

Some really good cheeses to include would be a strong brie or camembert (if you like soft and strong cheese), if not I would go for a more dense cheese like Havarti, or Gouda (always a favourite!).

The thing with cheese, although it may be high in calories, it is also very high in nutrition. If you eat a quality cheese, you are giving your body quality nutrience. Instead of any processed cheddars or anything (not saying that it's wrong, or that anyone does it here), go for a higher quality like the aforementioned. 

So, with this being said with a Français-canadien flair, bring on the good cheese. Indulge once in awhile, and reap the benefits of good food! :)

Voilà et bon appétit mes amies!

 

Being able to still eat just about any cheese is another advantage I see in my low carb diet.  Almost all cheeses are 0g of carbs.  They are still expensive, calorie wise, but I probably eat 100-200 calories worth of cheese everyday.  Since starting my low carb diet almost 2yrs ago, I started sampling all the different cheeses out there.  Great stuff!!!

Hey!

I'm a French girl!

I think a bit of cheese a day is fine! French families usually have at least 2 different kind of cheese in their fridge...One of my favorite one is "le Crottin de Chavignol". It's a goat cheese which has a soft taste, soft-ripened, crumbly...

La Tomme de Savoie is a semi-soft cheese: "It is a mild, semi-firm cow's milk cheese with a beige interior and a thick brownish-grey rind".

You can a find tons of idea here...

And don't forget to visit this page on how to cut your cheese!

Have a great day.

 

I would say there's absolutel nothing wrong with keeping cheese in your diet, as long as you're mindful of the calorie content.  Sure, cheese is high in calories & fat, but it also has a lot of nutrients and can easily be incorporated into a reduced-calorie regimen with minimal effort.  Don't devour your cheese--savor it!! I've lost 87 lbs in the last year...and I eat one or two servings of cheese every day.  :)

The cheese I miss the most in my calorie count journey. When I grew up bread, butter and cheese were main food for breakfast.  Now I have cheese only on special occasions. I love Gouda with glass of red wine after dinner, brie with crackers and grapes, goat cheese in my arugula salad. My son’s favorite Rye bread with hard cheese baked in the toaster oven, just about to make bread a little crispy and cheese a little soft.

Recently I tried brie with truffle – very delicious!  Cheese is a delicacy for me now.  Thank you for the post! It will make easier for me to enjoy my cheese J

I was truly blessed to live in France for 6 months or so in the 70's.  I was in my early 20's and had a very white bread existence until that point.  I was doubly blessed to be living in Marseilles which introduced me to their open air markets, wonderfully fresh fruit, and a multitude of cheeses.  I still remember buying a loaf of wheat french bread, some Camembert and a pear and of course , some wine , taking it to a park and feasting with friends. I have purposely cut down on cheeses except when I really crave them, never thinking I would be able to have Camembert  or Brie again.  What a flood of memories this article released in my mind and heart and joy to know that I can indulge in a little brie when the mood fits. thanks!!

Can't do it, absolutely not, not in this way.  I'm okay with some cheese in a pizza slice (delivery, home made or frozen), and I'm okay with some cheese in mac & cheese (made as diet friendly as possible) and I'm okay with a little mozzarella on something "a la parmigiana" ... and lastly, I buy 2% American produced by Land O Lakes brand for most of my cheese consumption these days.  HOWEVER, during the New Year celebration, hubby bought an imported from Italy platter.  It was devastating to my plan.  It threw me.  Those little bits of cheese with accompanying crackers did me in.  I was so glad when the trifecta of eating holidays ended (Thanksgiving/Xmas/NY) and I was 100% back "on" plan. I was the little engine that could, because it took me a good week and a half to feel normal again. Twas the cheese.  

So, for Super Bowl (its own holiday, right?) hubby buys another cheese tray imported from Italy.  I ate it, again, and enjoyed every fatty calorie laden bite over several days.

My problem with that kind of cheese is.....it is no substitute for a meal.  It is in additional to a meal, and I need crackers with it.  Those items have been very costly to my efforts to continue to lose weight.  Fortunately, I've only had the cheese tray twice in 9 months.  It is something I must keep out of the house (along with Almond Joy and Kit Kat candies).

 

I eat cheese everyday. I haven't found it too hard to incorporate into my diet. I really like fresh (not sliced or shredded, but balled) mozzarella cheese and it's pretty low in saturated fat! It's a good source of protein for vegetarians like myself.

I LOVE cheese! My favorite snack consists of sliced granny smith apples, purple grapes, and a bit of warm brie cheese. Sometimes I put it one some wheat thins, and sometimes I just put the cheese right on the apples. Delicious!

I believe in everything in moderation. I top my omelette with manchego cheese.

I too, love cheese. But not my husband, he's a Velveta kinda guy....yes I know it is not cheese not sure it is really even a food!! Although he does like cheddar. It is so hard to have just 1 ounce. Mostly, I stick to string cheese....portion control. I love apples (Pink Lady are a favorite) with pepper jack cheese. Still have a grilled cheese sandwich occasionally....true comfort food.

I am not a huge fan of dairy products, but when I walk through Whole Foods I sometimes sample the cheeses they have out. I do not mind small (and I mean VERY small) amounts of cheese once and a while, but I am usually not in the mood for it.

Some cheeses I eat more regularly are fat free ricotta cheese, low fat cream cheese, and low fat babybel cheese.
My fiance on the other hand could eat a cheese plate with every meal, and would be perfectly happy to eat a whole log of goat cheese as a snack. Goat cheese is my fiance's favorite, but any kind of cheese will go into her mouth. lol... she had to cut back a lot though for health and calorie reasons, as well as to help with the migraines.

I'm one of those people who loves cheese on almost everything, but I've learned how to still have atlest 2 servings of cheese each day & still be able to lose weight. I love cottage cheese & used to be able to eat a whole large carton in one sitting, along with the crackers. I now get the low-fat kind & portion out one serving & most of the time mix it into another item I'm having, so there is no need for crackers. My favorite thing is to put it in eggs in for breakfast. I now most of the time use 2% milk cheese, which also helps to cut out fat & cals. Also use a lot of mozzeralla, grated parm cheese or a mexican blend in things, but the main thing to all of the different cheeses that I use, is that I look to see what a serving is & then just stick to a serving. This way I can still enjoy the cheese I love & not gain the weight back that I've lost.

My family laughs that even as toddlers, my children were cheese snobs.  I love cheese with fruit and have made sure to be able to incorporate that into my diet.  Now I splurge on a much higher quality cheese from our local dairy and have a bit of delicious topping such as crisp apple or pickled figs and simply savor every small bite.