Eating cheese is probably the last thing on your mind if you are trying to lose weight. However, cheese actually has a positive effect on your efforts to slim down. This is especially if you use it as an alternative to other high calorie and high fat snacks and meals. These are six of the ways you can use cheese on your weight loss diet:
#1. Top Your Fruit With Ricotta Cheese, Not Crème Fraiche
Crème fraiche is usually the go-to topping for fruits because it does make it taste more like dessert. However, it packs a lot of fat and calories, which could negatively impact your efforts to lose weight. In fact, an ounce of crème fraiche contains 11 grams of fat and 110 calories. It barely has protein, which means you do not get any major fitness benefit out of it at all.
A great alternative to crème fraiche is part-skim ricotta. It has optimal effects on fitness as it only has two grams of fat and 39 calories. It also contains three grams of protein. It is a great pair for almost any type of fruit.
#2. Use Mascarpone For Your Toast Instead Of Butter
Mascarpone is not one of the most popular types of cheese. But it is actually a versatile type of cheese, which can be used in cheesecakes, tiramisu, trifles, risotto and other Italian dishes. Mascarpone is also perfect for those who are conscious about their weight. If you want to lose weight but do not want to give up toasts, you may want to substitute butter with mascarpone.
A tablespoon of mascarpone has 40 percent less calories compared to the same amount of butter. Plus, this creamy cheese is just as indulgent and rich as butter, making it perfect for whatever type of jam you are going to add.
#3. Utilize Cottage Cheese As Dip For Crudites
If you have not heard of crudités, it is actually quite a popular appetizer in Europe. It is made up of an assorted set of vegetables and comes with a dip. A few of the vegetables in the platters include carrots, tomatoes, cauliflower, zucchini and peppers. Usually, when it is served, the dip used is hummus. As great and exotic the taste of hummus is, it is not the best choice for a dip if you are trying to be slim.
A total of 166 calories is contained in a 100 grams of hummus, which is a lot. A good alternative for hummus is cottage cheese. Choose one percent fat cottage cheese and you will get only 60 calories while getting the same amount of protein.
#4. Replace Mayonnaise With Cream Cheese For Sandwiches
Feeling hungry on a Sunday afternoon? Among the recommended snacks you can eat are sandwiches. However, when making a sandwich, make sure you steer clear of mayonnaise. The reality is just a tablespoon of mayonnaise contains 10 grams of fat and 94 calories. It would be a smart move to replace the mayo with cream cheese. A tablespoon of cream cheese only contains 30 calories and two and a half grams of fat, way lower than that of mayonnaise.
#5. Shun Potato Chips And Snack On Fresh Mozzarella
Just the sight of potato chips is tempting, let us admit. Potato chips are great comfort food when you do not feel too good about yourself. But it only provides temporary comfort and you will end up feeling awful and bloated after. After all, an entire bag of potato chips can have a total calorie count of at least 200. In comparison, an ounce of fresh mozzarella cheese will only give you 85 calories at most. This will already give you enough energy to last a few hours before dinner without setting off negative consequences on your fitness. Another advantage of fresh mozzarella is the fact that you can get more than six grams of protein from an ounce.
#6. Put Some Flavor To Your Salad With Parmesan
Sick of eating the same kind of salad every day? Put some variety into what you are eating by adding some parmesan into your leafy greens and eggs whites. A tablespoon only has 21 grams and that amount is already enough to put some flavor to any salad.
Conclusion
In case you can’t even believe these are benefits of cheese in losing your weight, you can research more online and you will find these are great ways you can eat your favorite food yet lose weight. So, have your cheese making equipment and start eating cheese again if you ever stopped eating cheese thinking that it will just increase your weight. Have the best cheese rennet for the best quality cheese for various kinds of use in various recipes.