Ask the Nutritionist
Q:
I love cheese and am afraid I eat too much. How much cheese is really too much?
Viriya S., Woodmere, NY
A:
Americans love cheese. Consumption in the U.S. has nearly tripled since 1970. According to the
Wisconsin Milk Market Board, we eat on average about 31 pounds of cheese a year, which is equal to over half a pound of cheese a week per person!
Cheese consumption has risen in part due to the demand for time-saving convenience foods. Pizza, fast foods, deli salads and sandwiches, as well as many snack foods are all loaded with cheese. The popularity of prepackaged cheese snacks and resealable bags of shredded cheeses have grown in tandem with the trend toward greater cheese consumption.
People think that because cheese is calcium-rich, it must be good for you. As you probably already know, a calcium-rich diet combined with regular weight-bearing exercise helps build and maintain strong bones. Unfortunately, to absorb calcium, we need vitamin D, with which cheese may not be fortified.
Milk is always a good source of vitamin D and the consumption of milk should not be replaced with cheese. If you don’t drink milk, food sources that supply calcium include beans, broccoli, leafy greens like kale, bok choy, and fortified cereals and orange juice. Vitamin D can be found in foods such as fatty fish (mackerel, salmon, sardines), fish liver oils, and eggs from hens that have been fed vitamin D.
The bad news about cheese is that it is also a major source of saturated fat. An ounce of full-fat cheese (about 1 and a half slices of processed cheese) can have as much as six grams of saturated fat, which is a third of the suggested daily consumption. Saturated fat clogs arteries, resulting in heart ailments or even heart disease, a leading cause of death for Americans. You should limit saturated fat intake as much as possible, and unfortunately that means cutting back on cheese consumption.
Eating too much cheese may also cause constipation, especially in toddlers and younger children.
Limiting yourself to two ounces of full-fat cheese per week is a reasonable rule of thumb. Look for Parmesan or Romano cheeses that offer much more flavor than other cheeses, thereby allowing you to use fewer ounces. Feta or goat cheeses tend to have less fat than others. In general, try to eat reduced-fat varieties. For a cheese alternative, try cheeses made from soy.
One final word of caution: certain soft cheeses can become contaminated with a bacterium called Listeria, which can be harmful to a fetus. If you’re pregnant or trying to become pregnant, speak to a doctor about which cheeses to avoid.
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