Cheese can be healthy in moderation, but Americans love it in big amounts: We eat 42 pounds of cheese per person per year — an all-time high, according to the most recent government figures and the International Dairy Foods Association.
Sliced, shredded, melted, crumbled or baked, it’s irresistible on its own, added to a sandwich or part of a satisfying meal like pizza or lasagna. It can even be eaten for dessert.
Cheese has a rich culinary history, with humans making it for more than 4,000 years, the International Dairy Foods Association notes. There are now 2,000 varieties, so which is the healthiest cheese?
Is cheese unhealthy or healthy?
It’s complicated, TODAY.com has previously reported.
Early studies supported a link between high saturated fat intake from dairy and a higher risk of heart disease. But full-fat dairy may not be as unhealthy as once thought, according to more recent research.
A 2023 review of studies called cheese “nutrient-dense” and found it has “neutral to moderate benefits for human health.”
“There is absolutely a place for cheese in the diet,” says registered dietitian Natalie Rizzo, nutrition editor for TODAY. “The main deterrent for eating cheese is that it has saturated fat, but it also has other beneficial nutrients, like protein and calcium.”
For example, a 1-ounce slice of cheddar cheese has 5 grams of saturated fat, which is a little more than a third of the amount you should have in a day, she notes. And cheese is salty, so it’s not great for people with high blood pressure, she adds.
But that same slice has almost 7 grams of protein, a nutrient that helps with satiety and muscle growth; and it provides 14% of the daily value of calcium, which keeps bones healthy and strong, Rizzo explains.
Plus, cheese comes from milk, which has other nutrients, like vitamin A and B vitamins, she adds.
Overall, there’s no need to avoid cheese — unless a person has an allergy or another reason to skip it — but it’s best to…
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