Cheeses for diet food. Diet cheese at home

Cheese is a delicious treat and a healthy addition to your daily diet. Just keep in mind that not every variety is suitable for use during the period of active weight loss. We present TOP - 7 cheeses for those who are on a diet or are afraid to gain a few extra pounds.

1. Ricotta cheese

It is made from low-fat whey, and not from milk, therefore it contains a huge amount of albumin proteins (up to 13 gr.). At the same time, the fat content is one of the lowest: from 24 to 8%, depending on the type.

Fresh ricotta cheese, with a soft paste consistency, is great for making low-calorie whipped fruit desserts and sandwiches. No wonder slender Italians eat it for breakfast. One slice contains only 50 calories (100 grams - a maximum of 174 kcal), but despite this, it is very nutritious and allows you to quickly get enough.

This variety of curd cheese is a protector of the liver and an assistant to immunity. Just be careful with smoked and aged types of Ricotta: they have too much salt.

2. Camembert cheese (with mold)

This is a special variety, in the manufacture of which several types of a special fungus are used at once. For its growth, Bribok takes lactose from milk, almost completely freeing the finished product from it.

Therefore, Camembert, despite its considerable calorie content (about 300 kcal), is recommended for thin people suffering from intolerance to dairy products due to lactase deficiency.

The unique technology of making this product from raw milk, which has not undergone any heat treatment, preserves in it a maximum of amino acids and fat-soluble vitamins useful for the human body. Therefore, it really helps to keep bones strong, teeth and muscles strong, nerves steel, and the brain clear.

The bluish-gray mold on the surface of Camembert often raises doubts about its safety. We hasten to reassure: the waste products of this fungus, which are soaked in cheese, are harmless. And he himself quickly dies in the hydrochloric acid of the stomach, without affecting the intestines. But this cheese, indeed, rarely, but can become a source of infection with listeriosis - a bacterial infection transmitted through raw milk. Therefore, it is not recommended to include it in the menu for children and people with severe immunodeficiency, including pregnant women at all stages.

Despite the enormous benefits, Camembert, the main raw material for the manufacture of which is full-fat milk, is better not to use for those who are already overweight.

3. Mozzarella

One of the most delicate and easily digestible cheeses. The highlight of its preparation is rennet fermentation, that is, the partial breakdown of raw materials with the help of digestive enzymes secreted from the stomach of calves. Thanks to this special technology, all useful microelements, proteins and vitamins are preserved and immediately ready for assimilation in Mozzarella.

This cheese almost never causes digestive disorders, and it can be eaten at any age. True, provided that you do not have lactase deficiency.

The calorie content of 100 grams of Mozzarella can reach up to 350 kcal, depending on the fat content. Varieties of mozzarella made from skimmed milk contain an average of 160 calories.

In any case, a tiny portion of this cheese is enough to make vegetable salads with spicy herbs, light sandwiches, and casseroles unique.

4. Tofu

This is an absolutely unique product, made not from an animal, but from vegetable raw materials - soy milk. It is curdled with calcium-containing additives, which make tofu just perfect in composition.

Judge for yourself: a maximum of low-allergenic vegetable protein, with a minimum of fat (up to 5%), combined with a whole range of vitamins and useful trace elements. At the same time, not only is cholesterol completely absent, but, thanks to the phytoestrogens contained in Tofu, its use also reduces the level of lipoprotein fractions that are harmful to health. This means that the blood vessels are cleared of cholesterol plaques narrowing their lumen.

Tofu is a culinary dream, a chameleon product. It can be subjected to any type of heat treatment without loss of useful qualities. Due to its own neutral taste and the ability to quickly become saturated with the aromas of other ingredients, it can be used to prepare absolutely any dish. It is equally good in the composition of sweet desserts, vegetable or meat delicacies, hot and cold snacks. At the same time, it can significantly reduce the calorie content of the finished dish, since it itself contains only 90 kcal per 100 grams.

Due to the high protein content, Tofu can partially compensate for the absence of meat or milk in the diet of vegetarians and vegans, as well as people who observe strict church fasts or suffer from intolerance (due to allergies) to animal proteins.

5. Chechil

It contains only 5-10% fat. Outwardly and to taste it resembles suluguni. Produced in the form of braids, sold fresh or smoked. Its smell and taste are purely sour-milk and slightly spicy, and all because it ripens in brine and is mixed with cottage cheese or another type of cheese product.

Although Chechil is used in the Protasov diet for weight loss, those who want to lose weight should be on their guard. Due to the large amount of salt, it can greatly increase appetite and cause fluid retention in the body. As a result, the next weighing will show a noticeable weight gain.

6. Adyghe cheese

One of the most famous and affordable varieties. It is considered a low-calorie product: in 100 gr. only 240 calories. Rich in calcium, phosphorus, saturates the body with a complex of fat-soluble vitamins. Gives a pleasant spicy flavor to vegetable salads, light bread-based sandwiches. Due to its dense consistency, it can be used to prepare all kinds of diet canapes. Due to the palpably salty taste, those who are prone to swelling under the eyes after sleep are advised to consume it in the morning.

7. Feta Cheese

Virtually devoid of carbohydrates that contribute to rapid weight gain. Therefore, it can be included in the diet with impaired carbohydrate tolerance and diabetes. Fat from it is absorbed only partially. Slimming girls can add this cheese to vegetable salads with olives, as the Greeks do. If you are allergic to cow's milk proteins, you can safely use Feta made from goat's or sheep's milk. But little by little, not forgetting the rather high calorie content: 290 kcal per 100 gr.

Do you know the varieties of "light" cheeses?

Dietary cheese is used, rather, with a special diet, these are special dietary varieties that are not even available everywhere.

Fat-free varieties of cheese - this means that the product has a low percentage of fat, you should not take this literally, since they cannot be completely fat-free.

Light varieties of cheese contain 20 and 30%, and fat-free are those that have less than 20% fat (for example, Philadelphia).

Names and types of dietary cheeses

The normal fat content of such a dairy product is 50-60%.

Surely, some of you are familiar with, and others you have not tried:

Cheese is a source of calcium, phosphorus, protein, potassium, sodium, iron and a whole bunch of nutrients.

Solid or melted?

Hard varieties contain more calcium than processed varieties, and they are also fatter. Fat-free processed, often made at home, based on low-fat milk and cottage cheese and flavorings are added to taste. White varieties are the leanest in hard cheeses. That is why they are advised to add to the diet of pregnant women.

If you can’t eat fatty foods, replace them with low-fat ones: mozzarella, gouda, edamera, and the like. Remember that moldy varieties have a high percentage of fat.

Buy or try homemade?

Fat-free cheese is an elite product, you will not find it in every store, and besides, the price is not cheap for such a product.

But it is very useful and necessary for those who are on a diet due to illness or who want to lose weight. For this reason, diet cheeses are made at home.

The simplest recipe calls for milk, eggs, cottage cheese soda and spices. For 500 g of cottage cheese, take 100-150 g of skimmed milk and heat it over low heat, bringing this cocktail to homogeneity, you should get a “viscous” mixture. Various vegetables and spices are added to the homemade fermented milk product.

Where to buy dairy products?

Shop, market, village?

No one questions the benefits of fresh cottage cheese, farm sour cream, fresh milk and other dairy products. The only question that arises is where to get them for city people? We are intimidated with phrases like: “supermarkets are full of chemistry”, “it’s worth buying only at the grandmother’s market”, etc. How to distinguish good dietary curd cheeses from bad ones?

The milky smell and taste are very dependent on the menu of the cow and on the conditions of the animal. For example, if she eats wormwood, then the milk will be bitter. It is said that goat's milk has a special smell, which is very different from cow's. The presence of any smell indicates improper hygiene.

Goats are mountain animals that grind their hooves on stone. If they do not do this, then bacteria will grow in the hooves, and it is they that give a specific aroma. Attentive and knowledgeable owners give the goats a “pedicure”. As a result, dairy products and milk itself have a very pleasant smell.

On store shelves

When purchasing products in a supermarket, you can be sure of their safety to a certain extent.

Importers and manufacturers are checked by examining goods in laboratories, and the date of manufacture and expiration date are marked on the packaging bag.

Before you buy any product, pay attention to these notes! High-quality cheese or cottage cheese should not have impurities such as flavors, dyes or flavor enhancers. Milk, salt, rennet - only this should be indicated on the package. If any other ingredients are indicated there, you do not need to take it.

Be especially careful with so-called spreads, and products with names like "cheese product" (cottage cheese, etc.). Most likely, in such products, vegetable fat exceeds animal fat.

At the market stall

There is an opinion that cheese or cottage cheese from the market is fresher and healthier than in the supermarket. This statement is true, but under conditions: the cow must be healthy, the container in which the products are transported must be sterile, and the hostess must be decent. In good markets, all goods pass through the laboratory, but nothing prevents the owner from submitting one milk for examination and selling another. From this comes the most important point - the honesty and conscientiousness of the owner.

Looking for a private household

Perhaps the surest option is to come to the village on your own and ask the local residents where they get dairy products. So you personally get to know the hostess, ask her about recipes for dietary homemade cheese, look at the cow and agree on how many times a week you will call.

It's expensive, problematic, time-consuming, but you'll be sure that you eat fresh and natural food.

More information

The beneficial properties of cheese are as obvious as its
calories. So what to choose: strong nails and white teeth or a slender
figure? Keep both for yourself by choosing one of the low-calorie diet
cheese varieties.

Diet grades of cheese. ricotta

Ricotta is a cheese beloved by Italians. It contains only 13% fat and is not made from milk, but from whey left over from other cheeses.

Diet grades of cheese. soy cheese tofu

Tofu, made from vegetable fats and much loved
vegetarians, somewhat tasteless, but very useful. Its fat content varies
from 1.5% to 4%, and in terms of protein content, it can compete with a good piece of meat.

In addition, it contains a shock dose of calcium, prevents
development of osteoporosis and heart disease.

The consistency and color of tofu resembles cheese. add it
in salads or cook separately, for example, by baking on a fire.

Diet grades of cheese. Cottage cheese

Despite its name, cottage cheese is more
resembles a light and low-calorie cheese. It is made by mixing them
ordinary cottage cheese with lightly salted cream and has a delicate, airy
texture.

For 100 grams, grained cottage cheese has only 5 grams of fat and
therefore it is recommended even on the most strict diets. Add it to vegetable
salad, replace it with mozzarella in pasta, or just eat it with fruit for breakfast. Pay attention to the diet recipe.

Diet grades of cheese. Low-fat cheese or feta

Low-fat cheese - an analogue of ordinary cheese, but with the content
fat from 5 to 15%. In taste, it is absolutely similar to the classic one, but for the price,
often even cheaper.

Try to look for this in large supermarkets - most often
dietary feta or cheese is labeled Active. Make a Greek salad out of it
with an abundance of vegetables and a drop of olive oil.

Diet grades of cheese. Chechil

Chechil - pigtail-shaped cheese with a characteristic taste
smoked meats. It is often cooked and sold in brine and has no fat content.
more than 10%.

Make appetizers with tomatoes and eggs from it or add to
pasta, and also use it on its own for a hearty lunch.

Dietary cheeses, useful for consumption during the period of active weight loss, never contain excess fats and casein in large quantities. Why, then, do some people manage to get fat from eating them?

The problems with these products lie not so much in their chemical composition, but in the usual way of using them. People often do not even notice how many pieces of their favorite delicacy they eat on a breakfast sandwich, and for some reason, 80 percent of cheese is added to a dish called “cabbage with grated cheese”. And all this under the heading "vegetable nutrition".

With any diet, cheese is a good source of protein, it greatly diversifies the menu, the main thing is not to exceed the planned amount of the product.

What varieties of diet cheese are sold in the store

The most dietary is ricotta curd cheese. It is produced with a fat content of 2 to 20%. For people on a diet, low-fat cheese will be ideal - 2-5%. Ricotta has a fluctuating calorie content: from 110 to 200 kcal per 100 g of cheese. Most varieties contain lactose, but if you are not allergic to it, this component cannot affect the rate of weight loss. Ricotta in its consistency resembles a sandwich paste. It is good to stuff bell peppers, tomatoes or even baked apples with it, it is convenient to use it as cheese for sandwiches. It is allowed to eat up to 100 g of this cheese in one day. However, read the label: ricotta should be strictly without additives. Sometimes manufacturers add dried fruits and sugar to the cheese, making it look like curd mass.

In this diet list, number two is low-fat cheese. You may come across feta cheese with a fat content of 10 to 25%. However, it is necessary to trace not only how much fat, but also how much salt was put into the composition of this cheese. Unfortunately, many varieties of cheese contain a lot of sodium chloride, and when they are used, fluid retention occurs. Bryndza is usually caloric - 220-260 kcal. Eating more than 50 g per day of this cheese is allowed only for those who eat little eggs, meat, dairy products, and control the amount of fat in products.

Under the third number - cheeses "Atlant" and "Fitness". These are diet versions of the usual Oltermani cheese. These cheeses contain little fat, but they are still more high-calorie than the same cheese. Such cheeses will cost your diet, on average, 260 kcal. Often, dense, low-fat mozzarella, which is sold in “bricks” rather than brine balls, is also included in this category. It is good to use these types of cheeses for baking vegetables, or to make low-fat sandwiches from them, while not exceeding the daily limit of cheese - 50-60 g.

How to cook diet cheese at home

Cheese is made from cottage cheese. You can try making low-fat cheese with herbs or spices at home if you want to diversify your menu.

"Hard Cheese"

Cottage cheese 0% - 400 g.
Milk 6% fat - 200 ml.
Soda - a teaspoon.
Eggs - 2 pcs.
Mix all the ingredients and cook in a cauldron for 20 minutes, stirring constantly. Now pour the mass into a dish for solidification, pour quick soda, cover with a lid, on which put the load.

A Russian person will most likely decide that this is cottage cheese, but Indian cuisine considers this product to be cheese.

Skimmed milk - 1 liter.
Kefir - 0.5 l.
Lemon juice - half a glass.
- whatever you like.
Heat milk in a water bath, pour kefir into it and drip lemon juice. After the milk began to curd, the mass must be filtered, and the resulting product mixed with spices and left for 6 hours in the cold under oppression.