Low fat, low cal, cheese - UK

HappyHungryHealthy

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this. Basically, I am a 'cheeseaholic', I love the stuff and really can't cut it from diet. I'm currently eating Tesco 30% less fat, but it's still 98cals for 30g, which is nothing. I like making my 'pizzas' and cheese is a must which means a fair amount is needed, but this cheese is just cranking up my calorie intake. Is there another low fat, low cal cheese in the uk, or an alternative cheese lol

Thanks

jmbond06

I don't know if you have this in the UK, but I love laughing cow cheese wedges. They are 35 calories and so delicious. It's more like a cheese spread, but I put it on everything. They have a ton of flavors as well.

ChloeRoseLejeune

Not specific to the UK, but ricotta cheese is low fat, low sodium, high protein

HappyHungryHealthy

We do have laughing cow cheese here and iv even seen them with blue cheese in, but I don't know how I'd put it on a pizza. I even think they are lower in calories here, about 27 cals

I have thought about ricotta cheese but thought it would be full of fat and cals. Clearly I was wrong lol

What about low fat, low cal grated cheese? Does this exist lol

jmbond06

I've spread laughing cow cheese on flat out flatbread and put a little tomato sauce and veggies on top. It makes a pretty good little pizza! I honestly almost never used regular cheese anymore. Kraft makes fat free shredded cheddar cheese. It doesn't taste too bad. It's 45 calories for 1/4 cup.

aliencheesecake

Don't know if you have it in UK, but Walmart carries Chuck E cheese string cheese. If you get the 2% version, it's only 50 calories. I eat in if I get hungry in the middle of the night. I cheese too!

ChloeRoseLejeune

If youre using it for pizzas, you can get fresh mozarella. Its not too high in fat, atleast the brand i buy, mind you im in canada.
Its branded either fresh mozarella or bocconcini

Manda86

Low moisture fat free mozzarella is my standby. The shred doesn't melt as nicely as fresh, but it is still quite palatable.

On another, unrelated note, you are my friend's doppelganger - it's bizarre how much you look like her!

hedwardsb

Kraft makes good 2% cheeses in the US.
I, too, really love cheese. I make a homemade pizza in a cast iron skillet where I alternate layering the vegetables & cheese. It's very tasty even when I use less cheese than usual. Since I forgo meat for the pizza, I think it balances--or so I tell myself.

lou_lou_82

I'm in the uk and I love the light mini baby bels. They are 40cals per 20g serving, and eat them as they are or you could grate one (or 2!) for pizza. I love to eat mine with a teaspoon of peanut butter on top!

swissbrit

The good cheese guide

Comments (0)
Share

Most of us love to eat cheese. It's the great-tasting staple that transforms bread into a sandwich, salad into a Ploughman's lunch and pasta into macaroni cheese. But is cheese good for our health?

According to the National Dairy Council, it supplies 12 pc of the calcium in the British diet and is a fine source of protein and nutrients - including vitamins B2 (riboflavin), B12, A and D. It's also a good idea to eat cheese after a meal as it neutralises mouth acids and helps minimise tooth decay.

But cheese can also be perilously high in fat and saturates, and some of its critics also charge it with causing catarrh and allergies.

But cheeses aren't all the same. In fact, they have a huge variety of nutrient values, so read our guide to see how your favourite cheese rates on a scale of one to five.

Brie Per 100g: calories 319, fat 26.9g (saturates 16.8g), calcium 540mg

Despite its fat-laden reputation, Brie is less fat-rich than Cheddar or Stilton and has good levels of calcium. It is also a reasonable source of zinc, needed for a healthy skin, immune system and reproductive health. The soft rind is rich in vitamin B1 (thiamin), so it is best to eat it rather than throw it away.

Health rating: ***

Camembert Per 100g: calories 297, fat (saturates) 23.7g (14.8g), calcium 350mg

THIS rich and creamy cheese actually has a third less fat and a quarter less calories than Cheddar. It is unusually high in folic acid and, for a soft cheese, is rich in calcium. The edible rind is rich in thiamin, which is needed for energy release and healthy nerves.

Health rating: ***

Cheddar Per 100g: calories 412, fat 34.4g (saturates 21.7g), calcium 720mg

CHEDDAR is one of the highest-fat cheeses, which is bad news considering it's also one of our favourites. However, it is a great supplier of calcium and provides respectable quantities of zinc. Orange Cheddar is simply white Cheddar with added orange colouring.

Health rating: ** to ***

Half-fat Cheddar Per 100g: calories 261, fat 15g (9.4g), calcium 840mg

THIS IS not only lower in fat than normal Cheddar, it's also higher in protein, calcium and zinc. On the downside, it's lower in the fat-soluble vitamins A and D.

Health rating: ****

Cottage Cheese Per 100g: calories 98, fat 3.9g (saturates 2.4g), calcium 73mg

THE only truly low-fat cheese, with about the same fat content as skinless chicken breast. The reduced-fat version is even more virtuous, with only 78 calories per 100g, making it ideal for slimmers. But cottage cheese is very low in calcium compared with other cheeses.

Health rating: ***

Cream Cheese Per 100g: calories 439, fat 47.4g (29.7g), calcium 98mg

THIS is about the unhealthiest cheese of the lot. It has a level of fat and saturates equal to double cream, but a calcium content of only a seventh of that of Cheddar.

Health rating: *

Edam Per 100g: calories 333, fat 25.4g (15.9g), calcium 770mg EDAM has a medium amount of fat and calories but an excellent calcium content - higher than Cheddar. Unfortunately, its sodium content is particularly high - a factor to take into account if you have a family history of high blood pressure.

Health rating: ***

Feta Per 100g: calories 250, fat 20.2g (13.7g), calcium 360mg

CLASSIC Greek cheese made with sheep's milk and may be suitable for people with a cow's milk allergy. Has a middling amount of calcium but fewer calories than half-fat Cheddar and only a third more fat. However, has a very high sodium content: 100g supplies two-thirds the recommended daily intake for women.

Health rating: ***

Flora Alternative To Cheddar Per 100g: calories 409, fat 34.5g (8.5g), calcium 700mg Made using technology that swops some of the highly saturated buttermilk for sunflower oil. Has as much calcium as full-fat Cheddar but 60 pc less saturated fat and 90 pc less cholesterol. But it is still a high-fat product and should be eaten in moderation.

Health rating: ****

Mozzarella Per 100g: calories 301, fat 25g (19g), calcium 515mg THIS is a medium-fat cheese which can be disproportionately high in undesirable saturates. However, has a good calcium content and its stringy nature means a little goes a long way.

Health rating ***

Parmesan Per 100g: calories 452, fat 32.7g (20.5g), calcium 1,200mg

RICHER in protein than many cheeses and contains about the same amount of fat as Cheddar. It is amazingly high in calcium and just 10g grated over pasta supplies 15 pc of the recommended daily allowance (RDA).

Health rating: *****

Philadelphia Per 100g: calories 313, fat 31g (19.4g), calcium 110mg

THIS full-fat soft cheese has marginally less fat than Cheddar but is much lower in calcium. A healthier alternative is Philadelphia Light with only half the fat and saturate content. Both contain the additive E410, a stabiliser made from locust beans.

Health rating ** (full fat) *** (reduced fat)

Ricotta Per 100g: calories 185, fat 14.8g (9.3g), calcium 210mg

A FRESH, unripened cheese made from the whey of cow's milk, ricotta is naturally much lower in fat than many cheeses. It contains low to medium amounts of calcium but is also low in salt, so is a good choice for people watching their sodium intake.

Health rating **** Stilton Per 100g: calories 411, fat 35.5g (22.2g), calcium 320mg

SIMILAR in fat and calorie content to Cheddar, but has less than half the calcium content. It can also be very high in sodium, but a plus point is a high amount of folic acid, now thought to lower heart disease risk. Weight for weight, Stilton has the same amount of this vitamin as broccoli.

Health rating: ** to ***

Swiss Per 100g (approx): calories 400, fat 30g (20g), calcium 1,000mg Typical Swiss cheeses such as Gruyere and Emmental are very high in protein, with a correspondingly high mineral content. A matchbox-sized piece (30g) provides more than 40 pc of the RDA for calcium and one-tenth of the RDA for zinc. Health rating ****

boboff

Hi

Lidl do a selection of low fat cheese and yoghurt, they come in the standard boxes, about three mixed in per layer.

The cream cheese is 0.2% fat I think, and they do the 15% fat grated in a bag 200g for £1.59 or such like.

Quark is very nice zero fat soft cheese too, Tesco stock this in the uk.

lwagnitz

Not from UK, but in general, I've found mozzarella pretty low cal/fat. I'm from Wisconsin, the diaryland, cheeseheads, so we have quite the variety of cheese.

dawnfto

I use Kerry Low Low grated cheese or Morrisons half fat grated mature. I make my own pizza and use soft cheese to spread on the base to make it more cheesy.

HappyHungryHealthy

Low moisture fat free mozzarella is my standby. The shred doesn't melt as nicely as fresh, but it is still quite palatable.

On another, unrelated note, you are my friend's doppelganger - it's bizarre how much you look like her!

Iv never heard of low moisture mozzarella before lol I would have thought no matter how low in fat this cheese is, it would still be loaded with cals and fat, I'm glad it's not cause I love the stuff lol

Haha if she looks like me then I feel sorry for her

Hi

Lidl do a selection of low fat cheese and yoghurt, they come in the standard boxes, about three mixed in per layer.

The cream cheese is 0.2% fat I think, and they do the 15% fat grated in a bag 200g for £1.59 or such like.


Quark is very nice zero fat soft cheese too, Tesco stock this in the uk.

I never thought about Lidl. I'll have to have a look.

As for the Quark iv had it before to make quiche, that was a recipe from slimming world and I really enjoyed it. I actually think Lidl have stocked this too.


As for the people who suggested Kraft cheese, we actually have Kraft products over here so hopefully I'll be able to find the cheese! Fingers crossed!

Thank you all for your help!

mimiedwards91

Weight Watchers low cal cheese is fantastic, ots around 80 calories for 40g which i personally find is totally enough for a pizza. what i often do is get a weight watchers tortilla for 107 cals, then put on the cheese and add mushroom and ham and then put under the grill for about 10 minutes or just until golden brown. it takes extra good with black pepper. all uk products and all super duper easy to make - i love having a pizza for less than 200 calories! i usually add a little side salad with ketchup for sauce with it - just a sweet potato cut into wedges and grilled is also absoloutely gorgeous!!!!

dietingdanni

Philly cream cheese, i use that ontop of tomato puree for pizzas with extra toppings and it taste awesome

HappyHungryHealthy

Weight Watchers low cal cheese is fantastic, ots around 80 calories for 40g which i personally find is totally enough for a pizza. what i often do is get a weight watchers tortilla for 107 cals, then put on the cheese and add mushroom and ham and then put under the grill for about 10 minutes or just until golden brown. it takes extra good with black pepper. all uk products and all super duper easy to make - i love having a pizza for less than 200 calories! i usually add a little side salad with ketchup for sauce with it - just a sweet potato cut into wedges and grilled is also absoloutely gorgeous!!!!

This is how I make my pizza, but with quorn instead of ham and a lot of spinach. Iv never got it for less than 200 cals though. So I definitely need to cut back on the amount of cheese I use haha I use Asda passata for the tomato base too, its like, 25cals for 100g and makes it taste just like a pizza lol

Philly cream cheese, i use that ontop of tomato puree for pizzas with extra toppings and it taste awesome

I use this all the time when I make pasta. I love the stuff! Haven't thought about putting it on a pizza though. I shall have to try it

KarenJanine

I'm a cheese fiend! As a non-meat eater it's great for boosting my protein intake.

Lower fat varieties include Dutch Edam. I use this a lot as a hard cheese now, although it doesn't melt too well.

Light mini babybel are also great, as are cheese strings, etc.

Cottage cheese is low fat and high protein. Apparently it works well as a lasagne topping though I've never tried this.

Light mozarella balls (I get Lidl Linessa ones) are pretty low cal and very cheap. Great for putting on a homemade pizza.