This DiabetesIQ content is fact-checked and expert-reviewed to ensure strict editorial guidelines. Our content is evidence-based and provides objective analysis while maintaining the highest editorial standards in accordance with our integrity policy.
Published: January 16, 2022
This DiabetesIQ content is fact-checked and expert-reviewed to ensure strict editorial guidelines. Our content is evidence-based and provides objective analysis while maintaining the highest editorial standards in accordance with our integrity policy.
After receiving diabetes diagnosis, many aspects of daily
life become more complicated. Choosing what food to eat is one of them. All of
a sudden, you have to think twice while shopping at your local supermarket. You
have to really start paying attention to the nutrition facts of the food you
want to put on your table because the amount of consumed carbohydrates, sodium,
and fat can significantly affect the life of a person with diabetes, both short
and long term. Some foods are better to leave in the past, some are great to eat
every day, and some are good to be consumed in moderation. One of the most common
foods related to the latter category is cheese.
In general, cheese is a good source of protein, which is
very important to maintain a well-balanced diet as well as to avoid blood sugar
spikes because when carbs are consumed together with protein, it takes longer
to burn off the food. For the same reason, protein helps people to stay full
longer, which helps in maintaining body weight.
You have to keep it in mind that there are many kinds of
cheese with different nutritional content, including not only protein, but
various amount of carbs as well. For instance, Swiss cheese has 1.5 g of carbs
per 1 Oz, while cheddar only contains 0.4 g of carbs per 1 Oz, and parmesan
cheese contains 10 g of protein per 1 Oz, while cheddar has 7 g of protein per
1 Oz and cottage cheese only contains 3 g of protein per 1 Oz.
Fat, saturated fat, and sodium content, as well as the
amount of calories, also vary greatly from one kind of cheese to another. The
presence of fat, saturated fat, and sodium in cheese, however, doesn’t mean
that you should remove all cheese from your menu. You still need fat and sodium
in your diet and saturated fat is not only harmless, but even beneficial for
your body if consumed in small quantities.
So, although it’s better to give preference to
cheeses that are low in fat and sodium, such as cream cheese, low-sodium
cottage cheese, Emmental, cheddar, Swiss cheese, mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan,
consult with your diabetes care team for advice. We are sure they will recommend
you a nice selection of cheeses that you can safely enjoy as a stand-alone
treat or as a part of many tasty dishes you can cook with cheese. And speaking
of the dishes, we’d love to share with you a few of our favorite
diabetes-friendly dishes with cheese here.
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