Healthy Cheese Choices for Diabetics
Do you question how cheese fits into your eating strategy? Are you puzzled about the various cheeses and which ones are much better for your health? Cheese has a really low glycemic index and has minimal effect on blood sugar levels in a person with diabetes. It is a terrific option for a treat and sets well with carbohydrate-containing foods to blunt their capability to raise blood sugar. Choose low-fat ranges for a healthy choice in your diet.
It is recommended that we eat 2-3 servings of reduced or low fat milk or milk items each day.
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Cheese and Diabetes
Dairy products usually have a low GI and fit well in a diabetic diet. Cheese is similar to foods in the protein group which contain primarily fat and protein, and it has a lower GI than yogurt or milk. For instance, one piece of American cheese has only 1 gram of carbohydrate, triggering a really minimal impact on blood sugar. For a healthy snack that has a low GI, registered dietitian Joy Bauer recommends eating part-skim string, which has 80 calories and no grams of carbohydrate. To keep calories and saturated fat low, choose a low-fat variation of your preferred cheese.
See also: Low-Carb Foods: Diabetic Snacks
How many servings should we eat?
Cheese is an important source of calcium and protein. Nevertheless, cheese can also be a hidden source of salt and fat, specifically hydrogenated fat.
- Choose low fat cheeses for everyday use.
- Conserve greater fat cheeses for periodic use or when your recipe really requires the additional flavour a stronger tasting cheese will offer.
- Occasional use of a higher fat cheese would be a 2cm cube no greater than when a week.
What is the fat content of various cheeses?
The crucial nutritional issue when choosing cheese is the fat content. The fat material of cheese varies considerably.
Low fat home cheese can have a fat material of less than 1%, whereas some higher fat cheeses can be over 40% fat.
Also read: Can People with Diabetes Drink Milk?
Approximate fat content of cheeses
Constantly check the nutrition details panel as the fat material will vary depending on the brand name.
| Cheese | Fat |
|---|---|
| Quark | 14% |
| Feta | 16% |
| Lite cream cheese | 15% |
| Mozzarella | 23% |
| Camembert or Brie | 22% |
| Edam | 25% |
| Parmesan | 30% |
| Cheddar or tasty | 37% |
| Cream cheese | 25-35% |
| Double Cream Camembert/brie | 40% |
| Blue cheese | 30-40% |
Soft cheeses
Typically softer cheeses are lower in fat, particularly fresh cheeses like cottage, ricotta, quark (often spelt quarg), feta and mozzarella. These cheeses are boring in flavour and are therefore useful to bring other flavours.
You can use ricotta and quark in both sweet and mouth-watering meals including quiches and cheesecakes. They also make fantastic spreads on breads or bases for dips, specifically when teamed with a dynamic flavour such as chilli or pesto.
Use them when you require wetness, such as to bind stuffing for a chicken or for a topping on a baked potato.
The greater moisture material of fresh cheeses suggests they are better used in cold dishes. If you want to include them to hot dishes such as casseroles, sauces, or soups, eliminate the meal from the heat and include the cheese at the last minute to avoid curdling.
Feta
- Feta is preserved in salt water with a crumbly texture.
- Great in salads or accompanied with spinach covered in filo pastry.
- Has the tendency to be high in salt – attempt rinsing off the salt water before utilizing.
Mozzarella
- Mozzarella has a stringy, stretchy texture.
- It is a boring tasting cheese so is best used with flavoursome ingredients or in cooking such as a topping on pizza.
Parmesan
- Parmesan is a highly flavoured cheese with an unique fragrance.
- The odor of fresh Parmesan is not as strong as powdered Parmesan.
- You need just little quantities for maximum effect – if you use 10g of Parmesan cheese at 30% fat that provides you less fat in total than utilizing 50g of Edam cheese at 25% fat.
