Why It's A-OK to Eat Cheese This Season

1612 Cheese Board - Healthy Cheese Guide Closing Slide

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez

We get a little weak in the knees for cheese this time of year. Thankfully, full-fat dairy is inching its way back onto the healthy eating map, and with it, cheese. Cheese is loaded with the textures and flavors we love, from soft, buttery-rich Brie to hard, super-savory Parmigiano-Reggiano. But it's not purely an indulgence: Cheese is packed with protein and calcium. And unlike most high-calorie party bites that lend themselves to endless munching, a cheese-filled snack or predinner cheese board provides an ideal combination of protein and fat to keep you from overfilling your plate later. What follows is our guide to cheese: how to both splurge a little during the holidays and make every ounce count for delicious, nutritious eating.

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How to Make the Most of Every Bite

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Cheese's complexity and intensity, along with its ability to stretch, crumble, melt, and slice thin, makes it a secret weapon in a healthy cook's kitchen. Though it can be a concentrated source of sodium and saturated fat, cheese is also nutrient-dense, flavor-packed, and satiating: A little goes a long way. Use it to elevate the flavor of good-for-you foods like vegetables, greens, lean proteins, and whole grains.

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How and When to Use Lower-Fat Cheeses

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Fat determines a cheese's texture; higher fat content makes cheese smooth and velvety. Remove all the fat, and you'll remove not only calories (there are about 100 calories per ounce of cheese) but also the luscious mouthfeel and meltability. Click on to learn how to get the most from lower-fat cheeses (and what to avoid).

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Lower-Fat Cheeses - Try It

Photo: Grace Elkus

View Recipe: Quinoa Pizza Crust

• Use 2% reduced-fat cheddar in casseroles or mac and cheese. Layered and saucy dishes help insulate the cheese and encourage melting.

• Try part-skim ricotta (splurge on Calabro brand) or 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel) in any dish.

• Reach for 2% reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese for tacos and enchiladas.

• Use part-skim mozzarella cheese on pizzas.

• Buy part-skim string cheese for snacking.

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Lower-Fat Cheeses - Don't Buy It

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• Reduced-fat cheeses with gums and stabilizers: These additives help mimic a creamy texture but create a plastic feel when melted. The cheeses are often tasteless.

• Reduced-fat crumbly cheeses like feta, blue, or goat cheese: Texture tends to be rubbery and dry, and flavor lacking.

• Fat-free cheese. Exception: Fat-free cream cheese, when used with reduced- or full-fat cream cheese, works well in some creamy desserts.

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Portion Cues

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An ounce of cheese can have a different look, depending on how it's prepared.

Cubed - An ounce looks like a pair of dice.

Shredded - One ounce equals ¼ cup, packed.

Crumbled - One ounce fits into a ¼-cup measure.

Finely grated - An ounce of hard cheese can fluff up to ¾ cup; if packed, it would measure ¼ cup.

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Cultured Cheeses

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Cheesemakers use starter bacteria, called cultures, to convert milk into cheese, and some manufacturers add more cultures to the cheese after pasteurization. While this makes for a tastier product, the microbial content varies, and any probiotic benefits are undetermined.

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A Few Words About Lactose

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People with mild lactose intolerance often have less trouble with hard, aged, and fermented cheeses than with other forms of dairy, as the lactose content is nearly zero.

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Snacking Smarter - Apples, Pears, and Cheddar

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez

1 cup sliced apples and pears + ½ oz. sharp cheddar cheese

SERVES 1: 126 calories; 5g fat (2.8g sat); 4g protein; 3.5g fiber; 93mg sodium

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Snacking Smarter - Parmesan Popcorn

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez

½ oz. finely grated Parmesan + 3 cups air-popped popcorn

SERVES 1: 152 calories; 5g fat (2.3g sat); 7g protein; 3.5g fiber; 258mg sodium

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Snacking Smarter - Feta Nachos

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez

1 oz. bean-based tortilla chips (such as Beanitos White Bean) + ½ oz. crumbled feta cheese + 3 Tbsp. refrigerated fresh salsa

SERVES 1: 189 calories; 10g fat (2.6g sat); 7g protein; 5g fiber; 291mg sodium

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Snacking Smarter - Cinnamon Goat Cheese Toast

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez

1 (1-oz.) slice whole-grain cinnamon raisin bread + ½ oz. soft goat cheese

SERVES 1: 118 calories; 4.5g fat (2.1g sat); 6g protein; 2g fiber; 171mg sodium

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Foolproof Cheese Fondue

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Foolproof Cheese Fondue

Fondue is forever tied to the kitschy themed parties of the 1960s and 70s, but the dish is worth reviving: It's a casual, fun way to entertain. Nutritionally, fondue is a great way to stretch the calorie and saturated fat content of rich cheeses over several servings without losing any melty goodness. We add evaporated milk to make the base even creamier with fewer calories and less saturated fat. Guests will keep coming back for more. Any Gruyère works wonderfully here, but the aged kind has a bigger, nuttier flavor. While a double boiler is used in many recipes, you'll need a heavy saucepan and direct heat here to activate the cornstarch and thicken the fondue. Serve with tart, crisp apples and crusty whole-grain bread.

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The Ultimate Cheese Board

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez

See More: The Perfect Holiday Cheese Board

For easy entertaining, you can't beat a well-built cheese board. Create one that will encourage guests to assemble bites of crisp toast and creamy/salty/nutty cheese and a sweet or tart topper. Accoutrements like grapes and gherkins cleanse the palate so you can start fresh with the next cheese type or focus on the meal to come.

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How to Make the Most of Every Bite

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How and When to Use Lower-Fat Cheeses

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Lower-Fat Cheeses - Try It

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Lower-Fat Cheeses - Don't Buy It

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Portion Cues

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Cultured Cheeses

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A Few Words About Lactose

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Snacking Smarter - Apples, Pears, and Cheddar

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Snacking Smarter - Parmesan Popcorn

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Snacking Smarter - Feta Nachos

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Snacking Smarter - Cinnamon Goat Cheese Toast

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Foolproof Cheese Fondue

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The Ultimate Cheese Board

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