For the Love of Cheese; or Cheese, Wonderful Cheese

So, it seems that anytime I have cheese with my meal, the calorie count goes through the roof. That little hunk of brie I had with dinner last night was a big killer. My bones need the calcium but I think I better find something else. (Yogurt will do, but it doesn't have the same uses as cheese). Has anyone else given up cheese?

I adore cheese...any cheese, although I haven't given up cheese altogether, I have considerably cut back on that delightful dairy product. I have tried several fat free, and light choices. Personally, I don't like the fat free versions, they taste artificial, the light cheeses seem to do the job for me. This allows me to have cheese in moderation and still keep my calories in check. Good luck on your quest for incorporating that calcium-rich yet calorie-packed dietary delicacy into your meals!

I will never give up cheese, and I just can't do with anything other than the real thing.  But remember, lots of vegetables have calcium as well so you're not really stuck with just dairy as a calcium source if that's your only concern.

I can't give up cheese... It is wonderful cheesy goodness!

The trick is portion control AND what kind of cheese you are buying. Opt for low fat cheeses and your calorie count will go down. I don't even really taste the difference.  Also I find grating the cheese makes it go further in a meal. I always have some cheese grated in a tuperware ready as a salad topper or to sprinkle on something warm - like broccoli! Strong flavoured cheeses make you think you are eating more than you are due to the flavour intensity.

My favourite afternoon snack? Those cheese strings they make for kids lunches - the ones I buy are made with skim milk and only amount to 60calories for a whole stick and they are pre-packaged so I know I'm not cheating when counting calories!

Good luck with your cheese!

For calcium there are other options too: Try this website

i'll never give up cheese, either.  at any given time, i usually have at least five types in the fridge.  and none of those low-fat varieties, either - the real deal.  but i've realized that 20 or 30 grams goes a long way.  like chocolate, a small amount tastes just as good as a big chunk.

as for calcium, i'm a skim milk fiend ;)

Cheese is just about the only dairy I have. Occassionally I'll eat greek yogurt, and every now and then my boyfriend tells me to drink a glass of milk, but it's not something I think about a lot really.

Anywho... I like cheese as a snack, eaten on its own or with fruit. I don't cook much with cheese unless it's parmesan or I make a dessert with mascarpone. I've adjusted my ways of eating so that I truly enjoy the taste of the food I'm eating as opposed to the sauce you pour on it. In fact, a few days ago I went out with some friends for happy hour and got chili cheese fries because they looked and sounded so good, but when I tried them, I just couldn't eat them. They tasted bland and artificial to me.

Moving on... I used to waaaay overestimate how much cheese I was eating. For some strange reason (I blame Weight Watchers) I thought an oz of cheese was the size of the tip of my thumb. Okay, totally not. Way more than that. I usually have 1-1.5 oz of cheese as a snack (mozzerella, real cheddar, dubliner, goat cheese, manchego). I eat the full fat varieties. On the South Beach, you're supposed to eat the low fat, but I just can't do it. It's not the same. So it's the one allowance I give myself.

I'm vegan, so that means no cheese for me! That was probably the toughest thing to give up for me, but (I'm not wanting to start a huge discussion on this, but just explain my reasoning) knowing how the animals are treated in the dairy industry was enough to make me give it up.

Anywho, suggestions - there are some soy-based cheeses on the market, and while they do NOT taste like regular cheese, they are a lot healthier and I bet you wouldn't really notice, especially if they were mixed into dishes like Mexican food or lasagna, things that have a lot of flavor going on already. That's probably another good way if you opt for low-fat cheese or something that just isn't going to taste the same - pair it with something that already has a lot of flavor, and you probably won't miss it too much.

I transitioned away from cheese using the soy-based stuff, and I've gotten so used to not having cheese that I really don't miss it anymore. If I get a whiff of pizza, it's tough - but I stick to my guns.

Good luck!

acutally full fat cheese is pretty healthy, its full of healthy fats, vitamins, calcium, and minerals, plus its high in protien.

especially if its from grass fed cows, cheese can even contain Conjugated Linoleic Acid, a type of fat, which is good for protecting agianst cancer, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome ( it regulates your metabolism, helps you hold your weight, and/or loose it)

Of course, cheese isnt all CLA's, but id just thought id throw that out there.

So dont skip on the cheese, full fat dairy isnt the enemy it was made out to be, saturated fat is back.

Aghhh Brie was always my weakness. I remember days where I would grab a pack of Ryvita and finish off a whole wedge by myself, in one sitting.

I gave up cheese (and all dairy) as an experiment. I learned to enjoy soy products- and yes, when I say 'learned' I mean it! I went through a lot of money to find products I liked- but in the end, I lost a lot of weight and felt so good about myself. I had more energy and my digestion was impeccable. I recommend trying it, and finding some great alternatives to cheese. I use soy mozzarella on pita pizzas, I eat coconut or lemon sorbet, I use vegetables and spicy mustards in place of cheese on sandwiches- if you try it, you'll find cheese doesn't add that much flavor to sandwiches. Even if you can't give it up alltogether, I totally recommend trying- actually I'd recommend following a vegan diet for a week and see how you feel! Fresh fruits and vegetables and veggie burgers are so delicious and will change your life, I swear!

Lately the prices on the cheeses I like have been going through the roof, which makes it easier to cut back.  I like to use small amounts of strong cheeses as garnishes for pasta, salads and cottage cheese.  My preferences are for grated mizithra and parmesan, and crumbled fat free feta, and occasionally crumbled bleu cheese (on a green salad, with walnuts and dried cranberries.....).

But nothing beats a piece of runny chaource (with the rind) smashed onto a fresh baguette.  Every once in a while. 

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!  The power of cheese!

(somebody had to say it )

I love a good goat cheese (there is a restaurant near me that makes this salad with pan crisped goat cheese, caramelized pears, spiced walnuts and field greens - YUM!).  I also really like a nice stinky mountain gorgonzola spread messily over toast with fresh sliced tomatoes over top.  Brie - don't get me near it - I'm like a Hoover with the stuff!  And last but not least - Saga Bleu - that wonderful marriage of brie and bleu - gah, all sorts of uses for it, my favorite being stuffed into a baked potato, or, even better - a petit filet.  Oh boy!  [homersimpson]aagghhhhhhhhghghghg[/homersimps on]

needless to say, I don't eat much of the stuff anymore... mainly on special occasions.

dartinton, cheese actually is not considered a healthy fat, it is high in saturated fat and sodium.  Healthy fats come from nuts, olives, and avacodos for example.  I eat it anyway, but typically go for the "white" cheeses sinces they are lower in sat. fat and calories (most of them).  Light feta goes a long way and I too eat the light string cheese, mine are only 50 calories.  Cottage cheese is a great source of protein and calcium and 1/2 cup is actually a big serving IMO.

Thanks for all the great ideas. For me, I think it's gotta be the real thing, or nothing at all. I was a vegetarian for about 10 years for the simple reason, I just quit liking meat for a time. During that time I never wanted anything that remotely tasted like meat-- like those veggie burgers that tried to taste like beef. I think giving up cheese is going going to be a similar adventure-- if it's not the real thing, then I don't want it; although the difference with my vegetarian years is that I am still craving it and that makes it a lot harder to give up. Perhaps I can make it a special treat though-- save it for a wine and cheese night or somesuch.

Years ago I gave up cheese on my quest to become vegan.  Unfortunately I didn't do any research and ended up giving up after a month because I was bored of the foods I was eating. 

I've been  a vegetarian for 2.5 years now and am thinking about trying the vegan thing again.  And without grossing anybody out....if you take two minutes to stop and think of what is in cheese (rennet) it's actually kinda gross.  I've pretty much stopped eating cheese and if I eat pizza, there are restaurants that serve vegetarian mozza etc which is ok for me. 

If you head to a health food store (or even something like Whole Foods) they should have some veggie cheese options that have some good flavour to them.  Good luck, it's one of the toughest things to cut out of the diet!!

dishy, rennet is only gross if you're a vegetarian.

wahh, my doctor informed me a couple of weeks ago that I am lactose intolerant ... no more cheese

I am so sad right now

Sucks, doesn't it. Dairy products are my biggest diet pitfall, with cheese being #1 offender.  I use 2% cheese most of the time.  I have found you can't take all of the fat out of cheese or it tastes horrible.  The 2% stuff is really  pretty good, with a substantial calorie savings.  Even Cabot 75% reduced is tolerable.  The 50% stuff is much better, though. I found I really have to be careful with nuts, too. They are so calorie dense that more than a small handful puts my diet in the wrong direction.

I will take even reduced fat cheddar or a real block of parm (very VERY strong flavor a little goes a long way) over the soy cheese. The only soy cheese I like is the Veggie Slices Pepper Jack, the rest is...ugh.. powdery. Turns my stomach. What you CAN do is buy good, flavorful cheese, and use it sparingly on say home made low fat burritos and such and the flavor will burst through as though you were using a bucket load of mild flavored cheese.

Or you can just allow for said cheese. For some reason it's been REALLY easy for me.. my stomach has shrunk so much I don't know if I'm eating enough O-o, but I honestly eat til I'm full.

2 slices of havarti rich and creamy cheese yesterday. (smacks lips)

Total of 240 cals, but SO worth it.

I think that as long as you eat it in moderation and savor a single slice you can definitely incorporate cheese into a healthy lifestyle change.

i love cheese! eating it in MODERATION is a big challenge. also, for me, the full fat, preferably mature cheeses are so much better than low fat (an exception is cottage cheese but it is not really THE cheese:),  just today i am going throu a battle: there is a piece of a delish chese in my fridge. it is about 400 cals, maybe 360. i know it is supposed to be eaten TOMORROW. it does call my name though:) and i am at 1200 cals today and was not very active, so i shall keep it where it is. logging it for tomorrow helped a bit, i would feel like an idiot when editing:)