Say Cheese

Say Cheese

Living in Wisconsin, one of our favorite foods is cheese.  The state's 1,200 cheesemakers produce more than 600 varieties, types and styles of cheese, all made under the most stringent state standards for safety, grading and quality. In fact, Wisconsin was the first state to grade cheese for quality and the only state with an advanced training program to help cheesemakers become truly masters of their craft. It's no wonder Wisconsin Cheese wins more awards than any U.S. state or nation in the world.

While cheese tastes great, it does contain saturated fat.  The 2015 Dietary Guidelines recommends that Americans daily saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of calories consumer – that is approximately 22 grams per person.  Some cheeses contain significant amounts of saturated fat.

Here are some tips for making wise choices when consuming cheese.

• Look for lower fat varieties. I really like low-fat Havarti cheese. It tastes great with a lot less fat and calories.
• Lesser amounts of strong flavored cheeses need to be used to give a big flavor burst.
• Rather than mixing cheese into a recipe sprinkle on top. You are less likely to use as much cheese.
• Enjoy cheese with fruit or whole grain crackers. Remember one ounce is a serving which is approximately the size of five dice.