Which cheeses are low in calories?

Milk and milk products such as cheese contain high-quality proteins, but also vitamins and calcium. Nevertheless, when dieting, cheese is considered to be too high in calories and fat to remain in the menu in large quantities.

The German Society for Nutrition (DGE), for example, recommends only around two slices or 50 to 60 grams of cheese per day and person. But there are also cheese products that contain fewer calories.

Save calories when shopping

A basic tip when choosing a lower-fat cheese is the abbreviation “Fett i. Tr.” on the packaging: This stands for “Fat on Dry Matter” and indicates how much fat the cheese contains when the water content is subtracted. Sliced ​​cheese with around 30 percent fat in dry matter, for example, is considered to have fewer calories. With other cheese products such as cream cheese or mozzarella, it is also advisable to use the low-fat version.

A basic distinction is made between cream cheese, hard cheese, semi-hard cheese, semi-hard cheese, soft cheese, sour milk cheese and processed cheese. The differences between the types of cheese arise from the ripening process, the water and fat content or the type of coagulation. For example, cream cheese is not matured.

Cheeses that contain fewer calories

The following types of cheese are considered to be particularly low in calories, each with the calorie information per 100 grams:

Grainy cream cheese: 65 kcal
Layered cheese: 80 kcal
Cottage cheese: 91 kcal
Harz cheese: 113 kcal
Ziger: 124 kcal
Hand cheese: 125 kcal
Sour milk cheese: 126 kcal
Cooking cheese: 131 kcal
Ricotta: 174 calories
Shepherd’s cheese: 209 kcal
Slices: 209 kcal
Feta: 210 calories

So if you want to save calories, it’s worth using feta or herder’s cheese rather than Gouda (364 kcal) for a casserole or pizza, for example. Replacing mozzarella (300 kcal) with feta (210 kcal) in a salad can make a big difference.

And on the bread you might like cottage cheese (91 kcal) instead of cream cheese (340 kcal). And: Camembert (254 kcal) contains significantly fewer calories than Brie (334 kcal).

Types of cheese that contain a particularly large number of calories

On the other hand, there are also types of cheese that you should avoid or only enjoy in moderation if you are on a diet or a calorie-conscious diet in general. The leader is Halloumi cheese with 495 calories per 100 grams, closely followed by Gjetost (466 kcal); Mascarpone (460 kcal), Parmesan (431 kcal) and Gruyere (421 kcal).

Many popular types of cheese such as Gouda, Emmental or Chester as well as mountain cheese are in the upper middle range with calorie values ​​between 360 and 390 kcal per 100 grams.