Keto Cheese: Your Guide to Cheese on a Keto Diet

If you are trying out the keto diet, you must be aware that the fat ratio on a keto diet is the highest. Does that mean that you have a free pass to consume cheese? Perhaps, you may be thinking of leaving cheese for good to achieve weight loss goals.

But is cheese keto, and how much cheese on keto is acceptable?

To answer your question, yes, cheese is keto, as far as you don’t overconsume. Most cheese types have less than 1 g of net carbs per ounce. So, if you plan to consume a small quantity (4-5 ounces), you will still have over 40 g of carb quota for the day. However, not all cheese types are keto-friendly.

Just because you are on a diet does not mean you have to eat tasteless food. Know your cheeses and grab a tasty, cheesy, yet super keto-friendly meal! If you are looking to switch to a keto diet, this article will guide you all about keto cheese.

Is Cheese Keto?

People usually take up a keto diet to improve their energy levels, lose weight, and, most importantly, switch to a healthier lifestyle. Keto diets need you to calculate your macros properly. They are very low carb and high-fat diets and ketosis help your body burn fat for energy very efficiently.

A standard ketogenic diet is a low carb, moderate protein, and high-fat diet. It typically includes 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbs. A high-protein ketogenic diet has more protein. It includes 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.

Keto diets allow you to consume cheese and other dairy products. As mentioned before, not all cheese is keto cheese.

Highly processed cheese spreads and imitation cheeses are homogenized and pasteurized. They are not keto. They usually contain unhealthy ingredients like artificial flavors, dyes, and preservatives.

The table below shows the nutrition content of certain common cheeses.

How Much Cheese on Keto is Too Much?

Although cheese is keto-friendly and you can consume cheese in a keto diet, too much of it might not be good for your health.

A standard ketogenic diet is low on carbs, moderate protein, and a high-fat diet. It includes 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbs. While on the other hand, a high-protein ketogenic diet includes 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.

Based on this, you must calculate the number of carbs and fat that the cheese of your choice contains.

For instance, if you make ricotta cheese or cottage cheese, they contain a lot of carbs and less fat. If you take these cheeses in the same quantity as, say, goat cheese, you exceed your keto-prescribed amounts of fats and carbs.

Overconsumption of such cheeses will make your ketosis process too slow or ineffective. Thus, know your cheeses and their nutrition content per ounce.

Benefits of Cheese on a Keto Diet

Keto diets are supposed to have fewer carbs and more fat-rich foods. Dairy products which are not pasteurized or homogenized are good for your health. There are several benefits of making cheese in a keto diet.

• These rich dairy products act as an excellent source of micronutrients in a diet.
• Cheese has a high fat content. It also includes butyrate, short-chain fatty acid, protein, and calcium.
• Cheese also contains other nutrients like vitamins A and B12, zinc, riboflavin, and phosphorus.
• That's not it. A hundred percent grass-fed milk cheese contains vitamin K2 and conjugated linoleic acid, the omega-3 fatty acid.
• Raw cheese, a probiotic dairy food, helps to populate your gut with good bacteria. For instance, Lactobacillus acidophilus.
• Raw cheese helps reduce inflammation in your body and boosts digestion and metabolism.
• In case you do not like consuming organ meat or fermented soy, grass-fed cheese in keto diets will help you consume more fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A and K2.

Reasons to Avoid Cheese on Keto

Even though cheese is great for micronutrients and is also keto-friendly, it does not imply that cheese is good for everyone. Several people are allergic or sensitive to dairy products, especially cheese!

• When people are intolerant to lactose in milk products or allergic to casein protein in dairy products, their bodies are highly sensitive to cheese products.
• Many people do not have the required digestive enzymes to break lactose and casein and cannot consume cheese.
• If you are lactose intolerant and consume cheese, you will experience fatigue, metabolic issues, rashes and acne on the skin, and digestive issues.
• You may still consume A2 cheese if you are only allergic to casein as they are made from specially bred cows that contain less A1 casein.
• Other than these allergies, poor-quality cheese is very unhealthy in a keto diet. Pasteurized and homogenized cheeses are a big no. They contain unhealthy oils, artificial flavors, dies, and preservatives.
• These poor quality cheeses can ruin not only your ketosis but also cause other health problems like high blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.

Best Type of Keto Cheese

Based on studies, raw cheese is perfect for Keto Diets. Any kind of high-quality, high-fat cheese is good for you. Always avoid cheese with low fat or reduced fat content.

It would help if you also avoided highly-processed cheeses with preservatives while you are on ketosis. Depending upon the nutrition content, you can choose the type and quantity of cheese you wish to consume in your keto diet.

Goat cheese

Containing zero carbs, it's the best way to reach your macros goals. One ounce (oz) of goat cheese includes 103 calories, 8 g of fat, 0 carbs, and 6 g of protein. Because of reduced lactose content, it is also easy to digest.

Blue Cheese

Blue cheese is another good flavourful option. One ounce contains 100 calories, 0.7 g of carbs, 6 g of protein, and 8 g of fat.

Cream Cheese

Cream cheese is a keto favorite. One ounce contains 84 calories, 8 g of fat, 1 g of carbs, and 2 g of protein.

Parmesan Cheese

Best when grated, Parmesan is a delicious cheese. One tablespoon of this cheese contains 21 calories 1.4 g of fat, 0.7 g of carbs, and 1.4 g of protein.

Cheese Crisps

Dip these cheese bites in guacamole for a high-fat snack. Every ounce contains 14 g of fat, 1 g of carbs, and 11 g of protein for 170 calories.

Brie

Brie is a beautiful soft cheese, which contains 93.5 calories, 5.8 g protein, 0.1 g carbs, 7.7 g fat, 28 mg cholesterol, and 176 mg sodium per ounce.

Swiss Gruyere

It is a semi-soft cheese that contains 116 calories per ounce. It has 8.3 g protein, 0.1 g carbs, 9.1 g fat, and 30.8 mg cholesterol per ounce.

Cheddar

Another favorite when it comes to keto kitchens; Cheddar is a semi-hard cheese. Every ounce contains 113 calories, 7 g protein, 0.4 g carbs, and 9.3 g fat.

Keto Cheese to Avoid

High-quality Keto cheese is very healthy, and you must include them in your keto diet. But avoid highly processed cheese items like imitation cheeses and cheese spreads. Look for these cheeses for a healthy yet succulent keto diet.

• Processed cheeses are homogenized and contain artificial flavors, sugars, and preservatives, which are not good for your health.
• FDA-marked goods in the United States, labeled pasteurized process cheese, are extremely unhealthy and not good for you. Avoid them in your Keto Diet.
• Avoid pre-sliced, bagged shredded cheese. These contain several added preservatives and sugars, which are very harmful.
• Vegan cheese substitutes and low-fat cheese made with reduced milk are a big no for the Keto diet. Most vegan cheeses are not keto-friendly. Even though almond milk and coconut milk are keto, soy milk is not. Thus, vegan cheese made out of soy is not keto and hence not healthy. They contain more carbs and less fat. For instance, they contain 70 calories, 7 grams of carbs, 3.2 grams of protein, and 3.7 grams of fat.
• Some cheeses like Cottage Cheese, Ricotta Cheese, and American Cheese include more carbs and fewer fats. You can eat them in limited amounts. However, we would recommend you either avoid them or calculate your macros carefully.

Conclusion

Keto cheese is safe and healthy, and you can infuse it into your everyday keto diet. Be careful about how much cheese you consume and the type of cheese you consume, and you are good to go. Avoid highly processed cheeses that contain unwanted, harmful preservatives and additives.

Cheese in a keto diet is a safe bet, go ahead and choose the cheese you like the best. Calculate your macros and have a rich, healthy, super cheesy yet keto-friendly diet!