All these body transformations and glow-up posts you see on different social media seem really inspiring, don’t they? Now if you ask people what they did to lose weight, you will be hearing the names of certified diets among which the keto diet is certain to be enlisted, having a guaranteed success rate.
The ketogenic diet has been widely acclaimed for its effectiveness and quick outcome in various communities. The attempts to follow keto diets made by people and the increasing worldwide demand for keto-friendly foods are quite evident.
In this diet, you need to eat dairy products like butter and cheese, nuts, oils while lowering carb intake. Yes, that’s right, you read cheese! After slamming all the misconceptions, studies proved that taking cheese in constructive diets like keto diets is normal and fruitful.
In this article, we will know how much cheese can you consume on a keto diet and important advice related to the keto diet.
Table of Content
What Is a Keto Diet?
Ketogenic diets are very satisfying and effective for people aiming to lose weight in a short time and those having medical conditions like uncontrolled epilepsy, polycystic ovary syndrome, and certain heart diseases. It is also used to manage type-2 diabetes. Ketogenic diets have been vastly recognized in comparison to other forms of diet. According to statistics, the “keto diet” was the most searched food-related topic on the internet in 2020.
The high fat, moderate protein, and low carb diet that is taken to obtain more calories from protein and fat rather than carbohydrates is called the keto diet. The kind of foods you can eat on a keto diet are butter, nuts, sour cream, cheese, yogurt, vegetable oils, fish oil, nut oils, nut butter, olive oil, and other essential unsaturated fats that induce the state of ketosis.
The major goal is to increase ketones in the blood instead of blood sugar. It should be noted that keto diets should be adapted for short-term goals focused to lose weight.
How Do You Lose Weight Through a Keto Diet?
Ketosis is the body’s response to limited storage of glucose, usually if you take less than 30 grams of carbs per day. Your body generates ketones for energy when there is minimal carb intake. Ketones are derived from the liver from the fatty acids found from your own stored body fat or through the food you eat. Your body efficiently burns fat in ketosis by utilizing ketones instead of glucose and simultaneously you lose body weight. Additionally, there is a reduction in blood sugar and insulin level.
This sounds easy, right? Following this diet is that easy and you can get visible results once you know how to crack the code to shed unwanted pounds. The trick is simple, you need to know what to eat and in what proportions.
All About Cheese
There is probably nobody who doesn’t like having cheese. Be it fries, salad, burger, or pizza, you name any food, you can add all the cheesy goodness into them. Cheese has got to be one of the most popular and most nutritious dairy products. Cheese is derived from the milk of animals like cows, goats, buffalo, etc in which the milk is made to coagulate by the addition of enzymes and other products. Later these are solidified, further processed, and classified according to a different texture, fat content, aging, etc
Why Eating Cheese on a Keto Diet?
Cheese is incredibly keto-friendly. You will have the feeling of satiety and you will feel full for hours if you take cheese regularly. Combining plant-based foodstuffs like vegetables, fruits with cheese will add nutritive value to your meal.
A lot of people think cheese is off-limits but in fact, it’s one of the most sensible food choices when it comes to setting up a diet chart. Moreover, the best thing about having cheese on a keto diet is that people of any age and any body type can consume it without thinking much about it.
It is healthy and undoubtedly enhances the taste of various foods. Imagine being on a diet and getting the opportunity to enjoy cheesecakes and keto pasta without feeling guilty about the calories!
Best Cheese for Keto
There are a variety of cheeses you can have while you are maintaining a keto diet since all are not created in equal proportions of fat and protein content. The best options of cheese you will get should be high in fat, moderate or high in protein, and least in carb contents.
Some of the cheeses you can include in your regular menu are Mozzarella cheese, Gouda cheese, Goat cheese, Parmesan, Blue cheese, Cheddar, Brie cheese, Swiss cheese, Paneer, Cream cheese, Feta cheese, etc.
Goat Cheese
Produced from goat milk, goat cheese has a creamy texture although they don’t melt evenly. You can have them in salads, casserole, etc. If you are sensitive to lactose, this will be a good choice.
Cheddar Cheese
This yellow-colored cheese has got to be an all-time favorite! It has a nice blend of creaminess and acidity and melts quickly in the heat. The best thing is you can eat it by itself without adding to other food
Gouda Cheese
Slightly sweet and yellow-hued cheese goes perfectly with burgers, mac-cheese having a low melting point.
Blue Cheese
This unique, stinky cheese is cultured to form molds that provide extra flavor and nice texture.
Mozzarella Cheese
They are both low on carbs and calories compared to other cheeses. You can add them as topping to your keto pizza or make salads out of it.
Happy to see these names? There are other cheeses too, even some rare cheeses with all the exotic names you find troublesome to pronounce! But they are not available at convenience stores. You can have cheeses unless they are not substitutes ( soy cheese) or highly processed.
The above-mentioned cheeses are commonly found in grocery stores and you can enjoy them with different foods however you want, cooked or raw, with whole-grain crackers or lean proteins.
Cheeses to Avoid for Keto Diet
It depends on the composition of carbohydrates in different cheeses. Some cheese having artificial ingredients should be avoided because they lack the nutrient values of naturally obtained cheese.
Processed Cheese
These aren’t healthy options since they have whey powder, canola oil, artificial preservatives, and added dyes. There is a risk of developing cardiovascular diseases by having too many artificially processed foods.
Cottage Cheese
These contain 4-5 grams of carb and are extremely high in calories which might not serve the purpose of standard keto diets.
American Cheese Slices
They have a creamy consistency, low melting point, and a salty flavor with low-fat high carb content. Most junk foods like burgers and sandwiches t well with American cheese.
Reduced Fat Cheese
Low-fat varieties are highly processed which decreases the natural fat content hence you are likely to avoid them while in the keto diet.
Cheese spreads and dips, pre-shredded cheeses are included in this list too.
How Much Cheese Can You Consume on a Keto Diet?
The American Heart Association says that one portion of cheese is 1-1.5 ounces and the recommendation for eating cheese is three servings for adults and two servings for children per day. The amount of cheese consumption shall vary according to their varieties since they differ in terms of protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals, and most distinctly their calorie per serving. The following is the table containing the names of some cheeses with their individual nutritive value and intake per day.
| Types of Cheese (1 ounce per serving) | Energy (k) | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Carbohydrate (g) | Types of Minerals | Vitamin Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | 100 | 6 | 8 | 1 | Calcium, Sodium | A |
| Goat | 102 | 6 | 8 | 0 | Calcium, Sodium, Phosphorus | Riboflavin |
| Cream | 84 | 2 | 10 | 2 | Calcium | Riboflavin, A, D |
| Gouda | 100 | 7 | 9 | 0.1 | Sodium | A, D |
| Mozzarella | 85 | 6 | 6 | 1 | Calcium, Sodium | A, B12 |
| Swiss | 115 | 8 | 9 | 1 | Calcium, Phosphorus | B12 |
| Cheddar | 115 | 7 | 9 | 0.5 | Calcium, Potassium | A, K |
| Parmesan | 110 | 10 | 7 | 0.9 | Sodium | A |
| Paneer (2 ounces) | 90 | 6 | 7 | 1 | Calcium | A |
You may also add Feta cheese, ricotta cheese to the list although they have low calorie (30-70 calories) and low-fat content.
Benefits of Eating Cheese on a Keto Diet
Since cheese is loaded with all these healthy ingredients, you will have some added health benefits which are both advantageous and necessary for the body. Some of these are mentioned below-
- Prevention of osteoporosis: With the aging process our bones become thin and weak. Cheese can be a good source of necessary vitamins and essential minerals like calcium which are required in our diets to strengthen our skeletal system, especially if they are fortified with vitamin D.
- Helps in building muscle mass: It helps to bulk up due to its high fat content. It is a popular food choice for athletes and bodybuilders.
- Positive effect on dental health: Cheese keeps the teeth and enamel strong keeping them free from cavities.
- Reduces risk of hypertension: It can help to reduce blood pressure if eaten in moderation. Cottage cheese, feta cheese and goat cheese are some good examples.
- Improved gut health: They contain probiotic bacteria.
Negative Health Impact for Having Excess Cheese
Here are some of the most typical side effects accompanied by how much cheese you can consume on a keto diet.
- Headache
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- Bloated tummy
- Inflammatory responses- skin rash, allergy
- Gastrointestinal disturbances – for eating excessive dairy products, may also develop lactose intolerance.
- Potential weight gain – if cheese is not taken in moderation and you consume the wrong selection of cheeses too much.
- High cholesterol level – May increase risk of cardiovascular diseases if the taken cheese is high in saturated fat and salt.
Common Mistakes on a Keto Diet
A Keto diet can be effective for most people and you can get fast results too yet there are some major drawbacks you may need to consider. Here are some of the most common faults people should not be making if they don’t want their struggles and efforts to go in vain.
- Eating too much protein: Sounds like a bummer? Excessive protein leads to gluconeogenesis, a metabolic process where the body converts energy from the non-carb foods (protein and fat) into glucose when there is a deficiency.
- Binging on too many snacks: Snacks can be taken in between meals but it shouldn’t be high in calories. Instead of taking your fav chips, cookies, chocolates etc that have plenty of sugar and salt, try taking nuts, seeds, avocado and fresh juice.
- Not having enough sleep: Without enough sleep, your body gets under stress resulting in reduced metabolic process. Hence, you feel tired from doing various activities. Sleep for 7-9 hours a day. Sleeping helps to burn stored fat and makes you feel less hungry.
- Not keeping yourself hydrated: Water water water! Drink at least 2-3 litres of water to keep all the metabolic processes intact and properly functioning.
- Lack of physical activity: Although people vouch for keto diet and guarantee their weight loss without workouts, the entire process may slow down due to lack of necessary physical activities and exercises. Go for a walk or swim for half an hour. Do home workouts to get in shape quickly.
- Being overly stressed and anxious: It is normal to be worried about your process of weight loss. But a lot of people seem to stress a bit too much about the outcome. They constantly check the scales and become tense if they see the tiniest fluctuation in their weight. Since its a massive change in your body, it is going to take time for your body to adapt. So don’t beat yourself up much.
Final Words
Given the variety of cheeses and differences in their composition, there is no hard or fast rule on how much cheese you can consume on a keto diet. But having them in the recommended proportion per day is a safer and a standard option. This way you will be able to adjust your body’s metabolism and lose weight meticulously. If you are maintaining a proper keto diet, make sure that the diet fulfills the dietary goals without you becoming sick or fatigued from having too many dairy products.
It is also important to keep in mind that everyone’s body works and responds differently. The diet that works for somebody else might not work for you and vice versa. Don’t forget to consult with nutritionists and doctors if you have confusion.
FAQs
Can you eat cheese everyday on a keto diet?
Yes, you can have cheese every day on a keto diet. In fact, for a lot of people, it becomes like a staple food if they want to stick to their diet properly. Take cheese of your choice according to the recommended serving per day.
How much cheese is too much?
If your daily intake of cheese exceeds more than necessity (1-1.5 ounces per day is normal) then it becomes excess and may show negative health impacts on your body as well.
What are the side effects of eating cheese everyday?
You can develop fatigue, your cholesterol level gets elevated, you might feel dizzy and nauseous. You may also observe allergic reactions.
Is Parmesan cheese keto-friendly?
Parmesan cheese is a good choice of keto food because they are rich in fat and low in carbs. They don’t contain additives, oils, and flavoring agents that may stall the keto diet. But make sure to skip having parmesan cheese with pasta or pizza.
Is Mozzarella cheese keto-friendly?
Mozzarella cheese is undoubtedly the most consumed cheese. They have the least amount of carbs. But one thing to keep in mind is that fresh mozzarella is keto-friendly while hard or aged ones may have higher garb contents.
Can you eat string cheese on a keto diet everyday?
It is one easy-to-go snack item. You may have string cheese (from mozzarella cheese) every day but it is better not to eat it daily if you are already having cheese along with your regular foods.
