Let's talk about cheese.

[Domicron]

I've been trying to eat more cheese lately. it doesn't mess with my stomach like milk does (lactose intolerant) and it's got more saturated fat, which i need. it also tastes good. i don't many people who don't like to eat it. even most of the 'minimally processed foods' folks around here eat cheese from what i've gathered. so, let's talk cheese:

what's your favorite, which ones should people look out for, how do you buy it, how do you eat it, etc.

try to avoid cottage cheese...just because i hate it....j/k

[shesprints]

I buy artisanal cheeses that are extremely aged--aged cheddar, gouda, bleu cheese, random Italian cheeses I find at Eataly. Like you, I'm lactose intolerant, and I find the the older the cheese, the easier it is to digest. I often choose cheddar cheeses just because of the higher calcium content, but that's more relevant to me as a female with a history of stress fracture than it would be to you [males need less calcium]. But they also melt well and make the best classic grilled cheese, IMHO.

I also love goat cheeses. Both soft goat cheese and feta have fewer calories per serving than most other cheeses, and they're VERY flavorful, plus unlikely to cause digestive issues because they have even less lactose than cow's milk cheese. But, on the downside, goat cheeses are often high in sodium and lower in calcium. Still tasty in salads, spanikopita, mixed into a ratatouille, or added to pasta dishes of all kinds.

[TheLongRun]

If you had a bad history with cottage cheese, give the full fat (4%) cottage cheese a try. Mix in some PB2, cinnamon, stevia, etc. and it becomes a dairy dessert of the gods.

[hwa12]

Jarlsberg Lite cheese tastes pretty amazing, with 7g protein per slice and 2.5g fat and 50 cals.

I'm a fan of lite string cheese and cheddar cheeses too.

In terms of full fat cheese, good mozzarella (packed in water) is amazing, especially with tomato, basil & vinaigrette.
Bourisin cheese w/ garlic and herbs is crazy good too, especially on the right crackers.

[Rooney15]

I'm gonna head over to whole foods today after work, they have a huge selection of cheeses

[chemo29]

I find the the older the cheese, the easier it is to digest.

makes perfect sense since the cheese microflora digests lactose
the longer the aging, the less lactose it contains

[ktothewire]

anything extra sharp!

[TearsOfIce]

I srs love all types of cheese but... Italian parmesan cheese > everything
It's good everywhere: pizza, rice, pasta...and it's amazing if you just cut a huge piece and eat it on it's own
Hnggg
Craving it now :S

[Domicron]

I also love goat cheeses. Both soft goat cheese and feta have fewer calories per serving than most other cheeses, and they're VERY flavorful, plus unlikely to cause digestive issues because they have even less lactose than cow's milk cheese. But, on the downside, goat cheeses are often high in sodium and lower in calcium. Still tasty in salads, spanikopita, mixed into a ratatouille, or added to pasta dishes of all kinds.

i'm not generally a fan of softer cheeses...so i generally pass on the goats cheese and feta. they do have their places where they shine, but i rarely eat them.

as for the aged cheddar, i'll keep in mind that i can be more cavalier with my consumption.

If you had a bad history with cottage cheese, give the full fat (4%) cottage cheese a try. Mix in some PB2, cinnamon, stevia, etc. and it becomes a dairy dessert of the gods.

makes perfect sense since the cheese microflora digests lactose
the longer the aging, the less lactose it contains

you really know your cheeses...

where do you folks buy your cheese? do you buy grocery store, processed cheeses or the more fancy stuff in the specialty aisle?

[ErikTheElectric]

Cheese sucks.



/thread

inb4negs

[Domicron]

Cheese sucks.



/thread

inb4negs

i've always enjoyed cheese in sandwiches and on pizza, but otherwise i'm not a huge fan. it's an easy snack, though, and i like the macros.

[BazingaO]

I'm french and I live in France... So I'm a cheese lover, I eat it almost at every me.

There are sooooo many varieties here, it's amazing, you never get bored.

Goat cheese
Blue cheese
Brie
"Tartare"
Any spreadable cheese
Comté
Gouda

They are all so good in my opinion.
With a french baguette. Yumm.

[SM15]

Cottage cheese is my favorite. I roll with the no salt added, even though it tastes rather bland. My favorite cheeses also include other whey cheeses like ricotta. I use cheddar in my go-to macaroni and cheese recipe. Brie, Gruyere are tasty too.

[DAaaMan64]

Trader Joe's has some awesome cheeses as well.

Including the strange chocolate marbled cheese. dafuq

[TheLongRun]

Forgot to mention marscapone. Creamy and dessert-like.

[WaterSnatcher]

Mozzarella is my go to cheese. Have it everyday on top of my chicken pizza to help hit fat macros.

[gbullock32]

Love cheese, goat cheese is great, nice and creamy. Usually hit up Whole Foods or Trader Joe's every other week and spend a little extra picking up anything that sounds interesting to try out, variety is the spice of life.

[ADHDave]

just standard mature cheddar for me, eat it with pretty much every meal hnnng

[nicholina]

Dont buy processed or low fat. hard cheese has less lactose. Type comes down to preference.

[Domicron]

Dont buy processed or low fat. hard cheese has less lactose. Type comes down to preference.

processed meaning anything that comes wrapped in plastic?

[NaLLa8705]

Pepper jack! And sharp cheddar.

[pkahnman]

processed meaning anything that comes wrapped in plastic?

Pretty much

When most people think processed cheese they are thinking something like velveeta or those disgusting cheese sticks/balls

[Domicron]

Pretty much

When most people think processed cheese they are thinking something like velveeta or those disgusting cheese sticks/balls

i'm talking like brands like sargento and crystal farms and such...

[yeffy]

Sharp cheddar or mozzarella. I could eat whole blocks of these. I always thought that cheese wasn't that great for healthy eating though.

[cls91]

[Grelko]

I'd have to go with

Blue/Bleu cheese
Muenster
Marbled "monterey jack & colby"
2% low sodium cottage cheese large curd
Limburger "aged atleast 3 months/spreadable"
SHARP Cheddar "Aged 6 years"

Don't really like ricotta unless it's in a meatball calzone

I've tried/liked too many types to name them all, but these are my favorites.

[chemo29]

i'm talking like brands like sargento and crystal farms and such...

big brands use the same process than the local cheese makers, but on a bigger scale. It's quite a remarkable feat IMO
some may use modified milk ingredients (but that shouldn't be a big concerns to bodybuilders anyway since modified milk ingredients= milk protein concentrate, whey protein concentrate, calcium caseinate, etc. which most of us also consume separately anyway), but that takes nothing from quality/safety. (As a matter of fact, at the last World cheese championship alot of big companies ranked 1st place in various categories. see http://www.worldchampioncheese.org/ for more details)
Using these ingredients ensure a faster and standardized process (not much help on the taste and speed of the aging, although cheese ingredients suppliers such as Arla claim to have ingredients speeding up aging (always skeptic of such claims). for more details: http://www.dairyreporter.com/Ingredi...ade-faster-AFI)

Cheese spreads however, now that's a whole other story. Historically they were made using cheese scraps and those delicious sodium polyphosphates, diphosphates, phosphate & citrates. These sodium salts are used to replace calcium ions in the cheese matrix by sodium. Sodium being a monovalent ion vs the divalent calcium, salt bridges are disrupted and the cheese becomes spreadable. Nowadays, to meet the demand (and again for the sake of standardization) they aren't made with scraps anymore, but use the same ingredients.
I leave the research to you to make your own judgement on the safety of these ingredients

[mrzeusone]

Blue Cheese, Smoked Cheese, Brie, Camembert, Haloumi, Cheddar, Jarlsberg, Apricot & Almond Cheese, Goats Cheese, Bulgarian Feta, Greek Feta, Ash Cheese, Edam Cheese, any cheese, the list is endless.

Personally I prefer smoked apricot and almond gouda.

[Gxp23]

All cheese, I love it all.

I really like soft cheese like brie etc, feta, blue, stuff with a "kick" but like I said I love it all. Dutch Edam on my omelette is hnnng.

[nicholina]

To determine if highly processed or less processed, look at the ingredient list.


least processed:





more processed


highly processed



There shouldnt be much more than milk salt and enzymes.