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 like...

Sargento string cheese (50 cals), Cracker barrel 2% cheese sticks (90 cals), Laughing Cow Cheese wedges (35 cal), Kraft Fat Free slices - come on they don't taste that awful! (30 cal), and crumbled bleu cheese- low fat.  If you take 1 tbsp. of low fat crumbled bleu cheese and put it on a turkey burger, its only like 35 cals and it makes a complete diff. in the taste of the burger- delish. 

I LOVE cheese. I know I overdo it and it is my weakness. I have been cutting back on calories and using reduced fat mayo, etc. But I cannot skimp on the cheese.

But I'd rather do the full-fat version and measure out my portion, than eat the low-fat kind. I feel it is too "rubbery".

I can't eat the soy-based cheeses because I am allergic to soy. So many people are lactose intolerant and have to eat soy-products, I am the other way around and soy seems to be an additive in everything these days.

Original Post by pgeorgian:

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

& there is a bacterial rennet that's vegetarian, depends on the manufacturer. for some using animal rennet is getting to be more expensive then the bacterial kind, so some are switching. but i believe the more expensive gourmet cheeses use animal rennet. cant be too sure of any unless (if you're in ireland or the uk) the cheese has the green 'V' on it.

and i've tried some ok homemade vegan cheese recipes from fatfree.com. you have to experiment though with them & it is time consuming. i am some what lactose intolerant so i can't eat as much as i used to.

but on topic, i looooovvvveeee cheese. my bf calls me a 'little rat' cuz i could easily just nibble a way on a piece of cheese by itself. some times when he goes to use the cheese he'll notice little bite marks on it.  & if you hand me a nice glass of wine with it, im in heaven. they just seem to bring out the best in each other. i like it melted as well.

I love Cheese,it is my weakness.  I have had to cut it nearly out since I can't eat just a small amount and that is what is missing . I can do without sweets and don't care about bread, potatoes any of that but my life without cheese has nearly reduced me to tears

lilithinwaiting - for the love of god eat some cheese woman!!

I am one of the cheese-lovers who refuses to give up cheese....I would rather have a 30g peice of old cheddar for 120 cals than any other thing, and since that is less than 1/10 of my daily calorie target, why not? When I started keeping track of calories and such, I realized anything can be eaten as long as you budget for it and have it in moderation. The main problem with over-budgeting for cheese, though, is not the fat or calories, but the sodium...can't get away from that :(

I have noticed that pepper jack has less calories and fat than american or cheddar cheese I do not like the low fat stuff and pepper jack slices or the cheese sticks for kids lunches are only 50 and 60 calories.

I agree with a lot of the posters that MODERATION is KEY.

The cheeses that I use the most are 50%CABOT - it tastes so good, and my fridge is never without it.

2% String cheese - I eat it a bit before my workouts and also eat it as a snack if I need something to tide me over to my next meal.

2% Cottage cheese - because I love cottage cheese and this is such a good source of both calcium AND protein

Parmesean Cheese - I shred or grate it to top off salads, soups or pastas (in the rare time I ever eat pasta) for flavor with little calories.

I don't think I could EVER give up cheese!

String cheese + cottage cheese + low fat cheese + light cheese = IMPOSTERS

I LOVE cheese and dairy, especially a tall glass of icy cold whole milk, but cannot tolerate the lactose and had terrible digestive problems for years until we learned why.    :(

Still, sometimes I treat myself by buying a super duper deliciously odoriferous fermented high end hard cheese from Whole Foods and it is like heaven.   :)   And thank god for lactase supplements.