Because of its relatively high fat content, cheese has gotten a bad reputation in certain circles. But cheese, in fact, is one of the healthiest foods available.

Served at the proper amount, an individual can get a range of valuable nutrients from cheese. A mere ounce of cheddar will provide just over 7 grams of protein, while supplying a little over 200 mg of calcium.

The casein in the milk used to make cheese is a useful protein in supporting health, since it contains all the essential amino acids. The phosphorus in cheese is one of the vital minerals needed for a healthy body, as is sodium which is critical to the heart’s activity.

It takes about 10 pounds of milk to produce a pound of cheese, and almost all the nutrition in that original source is preserved in the final product. For the most part, making cheese from milk leaves the original vitamins and minerals intact.

You’ll need to take some care to get the best nutrition that cheese has to offer. Long term storage should be between 35-40°F. Once exposed to air, both temperature and organisms will quickly act on the cheese. Flavor is lost quickly as the air dries out the cheese and certain harmless but distasteful molds can grow on the surface quickly.

Cheese stores well at room temperature, so when wrapped properly it can provide that nutrition on the road. In fact, the best cheeses are served at room temperature, since that brings out their full flavor. When a food tastes good, maintaining good nutrition is all the easier. Perpetual bland and tasteless food is not a great incentive to continue on a stringent diet.

Many cheese do contain substantial percentages of fat. But, though it has been the subject of a lot of junk science, fat is actually healthy in moderation. Fat is dense in calories, with each gram supplying around 9 calories. That’s the source of much of its bad reputation. For those dieting it is necessary to watch the amount of fat consumed, since it’s possible to take in so many calories in a small quantity of material.

Two other sources of its bad reputation are the role it can play in the creation of cholesterol and, of course, the unattractive deposits it forms around the waist. But here again, the key is moderation. In the proper amount, fat is essential to the regulation of certain vital neural processes and helps regulate hormones.

The key is to heed the type and amount of potentially worrisome compounds, such as sodium and fat. It’s true that some mass produced cheeses are very high in sodium and contain relatively large amounts of saturated fat. But there are many cheeses that are low or moderate in sodium, and many are made from low-fat milk. Getting the facts of a specific type is the best method for planning your nutritional needs.

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