Cheese alternatives?

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_tannyw
_tannyw Posts: 26 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Cheese will always be my weakness! Especially cheddar - mainly because it adds so much flavour to salads, as I hate dressings and I'm allergic to nuts. I've tried substituting for low fat cheese spreads and cottage cheese, but I feel like i need to stop the addiction! any sugestions?
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Replies

  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
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    No cheese?
  • _tannyw
    _tannyw Posts: 26 Member
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    cityruss wrote: »
    No cheese?

    that's not a helpful response, though?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I have reduced fat cheddar cheese, almost as tasty as the full fat stuff!
  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
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    I allow myself 25grams of Apetina salad cheese (similar to feta cheese) to add to my salads. I will never give up cheese, just have it in smaller amounts.
  • Sarah_Pelfrey
    Sarah_Pelfrey Posts: 2 Member
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    Guacamole! It still has about 100 calories per serving, but it's "good fat." :)
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
    edited May 2016
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    I love cheese and I'd never ban it from my diet. Nothing wrong with adding a bit of shredded cheese to a salad. I always add about a tablespoon of parmesan regianno to my salad - about 20 calories. No big deal.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Less cheese?

    I use a lot of feta, because it's a bit lower cal than many other cheeses, and only a very small amount is needed for flavor, since the taste is strong.

    I tend to reserve higher cal cheeses (I love so many cheeses and trying new ones) for a snack on their own, since that way I appreciate them more.
  • _tannyw
    _tannyw Posts: 26 Member
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    Sarah_Pelfrey wrote: »
    Guacamole! It still has about 100 calories per serving, but it's "good fat." :)

    that's a really good idea :)
  • jessiefrancine
    jessiefrancine Posts: 271 Member
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    Like you, I dislike salad dressings. Cheese is great but I try to keep my salads low-cal to make room for other treats in my day. I like topping my salads with other interesting/flavorful ingredients. Some of my faves:
    • Reduced sugar Ocean Spray craisins (more tart than sweet, nice bit of chewiness and tons of fiber!)
    • Sliced mini sweet peppers (you'll see them in the produce section in little prepackaged bags - red, orange and yellow)
    • Diced red onions (be careful here - a little bit goes a looooong way!)
    • Salsa
    • A combo of black beans and corn with a dash of lime juice, garlic and cliantro mixed in
  • melly_fluous
    melly_fluous Posts: 13 Member
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    Sorry! I'm no help. I too, am a cheese addict. :)
  • LPflaum
    LPflaum Posts: 174 Member
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    I feel ya here. Rather than giving up cheese altogether, I've moved to using small amounts of very flavorful cheeses. Essentially, if you have to buy it in the dairy case instead of the deli case, i'm not buying it anymore. Feta, gorgonzola, blue cheese, deeply smoky gouda, and super duper sharp cheddars have become my go to.

    If you're looking for something else to put on a salad that might mimic what a dressing does, I like poached or over easy eggs, sriracha, or sometimes i make my own salad dressing with mustard. Its always good to have a little fat on a salad since so many of the vitamins in veggies (A,D,E,K) are all fat soluble.
  • upoffthemat
    upoffthemat Posts: 679 Member
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    I find a cut up granny smith apple can sometimes add some of that bite I like from the cheddar cheese. I still like cheese though
  • cfritch26
    cfritch26 Posts: 28 Member
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    I have tried the reduced fat and calorie cheeses, but honestly there is no such thing as a cheese substitute. Since I have reduced my carbs I am able to allow myself more fat and that's exactly what I do. Then again, carbs are more of a trigger for me than anything...if I have 1, I have 1000.
  • mjwarbeck
    mjwarbeck Posts: 699 Member
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    If you are adding cheese to a salad for flavour, then why not get a block of a hard cheese like a pecorino (our farmers market had a blue parmesan style cheese). Using a cheese plane you will get airy light shreds...you be surprised how much can be added for a little weight. Plus the hard ago cheese has tons of flavour.
  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,709 Member
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    What do you dislike about salad dressings? And do you mean ALL, whether creamy or a vinaigrette? I only ask because that's help with what types of substitutes to suggest.

    There are a few good jarred salsas that I like on a salad, particularly a corn and black bean one because it adds great flavor and vegetables that I don't have to buy and prepare separately.

    I prefer to eat good cheese by itself, as others have mentioned. You really get to enjoy the flavor. Adding it to dishes can sometimes diminish that and just adds extra calories.
  • mrspaws91
    mrspaws91 Posts: 27 Member
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    LPflaum said what I was going to say. Instead of giving it up completely, use a tiny amount of very flavorful cheese. Extra sharp cheddar packs a lot of flavor into a little portion.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    Sarah_Pelfrey wrote: »
    Guacamole! It still has about 100 calories per serving, but it's "good fat." :)

    Cheese also has good fat.

    Weigh your cheese and fit it into your calorie goals.
  • jwcanfield
    jwcanfield Posts: 192 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    I have reduced fat cheddar cheese, almost as tasty as the full fat stuff!

    Agree - Cabot's has a good lower fat cheddar

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