Top cheeses for health (full-fat, lactose-free and low-salt)

Hello everyone! The purpose of this post is to give you an overview of the best cheeses to eatif you have chosen to use them integrate into your diet.

It's true that cheese is one of the most controversial foods in terms of its relevance to health.

It's often demonized as being too fatty, in particular because it's too rich in saturated fats, too salty, too high in calories, or poorly digested because of the lactose it contains, But cheese is increasingly coming to the fore for its interesting nutritional properties.provided you learn how to use it.

If we want to be the advocate of cheese, here are the arguments that could work in its favor:

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First of all, it is fat and proteinand devoid of carbohydratesIt is therefore totally compatible with a diet geared towards health and sport. The low-carb diet, low in carbohydrates and sugars, is back in the spotlight, and the Blooness guide echoes this.

It does contain saturated fats, but according to some doctors and dieticians, if consumed early in the dayand not before going to bed, these saturated fats could be beneficial to health and dietary rebalancing. In any case, this is the path that has long been explored by practitioners of chrononutrition, a type of diet that puts the biological clock back at the center of eating, and to which we'll be returning on Blooness.

It's a food ancestral which is consumed in certain blue zoneswith no particular health problems.

Finally, there is a plethora of cheeses with little or no lactose.Cheese producers are tending to lower the salt content, even marketing low-sodium versions.

Just avoid or moderate fresh cheeses, which still contain too much lactose, which in addition to being considered by emerging nutritionists as a type of carbohydrate relatively poor, not suitable for lactose allergies.

In the first instance, here's a list of the fattiest cheeses. These are the foods that should ideally be included in a low-carb diet, and should be eaten first thing in the morning.

In this list, cheeses with excessively high sodium levels have been italicized. People at risk should therefore avoid some of these overly salty cheeses.

Top full-fat cheeses :

Brillat-Savarin PGI

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 390 kcalories
  • proteins : 10 g
  • carbohydrates: 2 g
  • lipids : 38 g
  • sodium: 435 mg

Saint-Albray

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 365 kcalories
  • protein: 17 g
  • carbohydrates: 0 g
  • lipids: 33 g
  • sodium: 520 mg

County

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 417 kcalories
  • protein: 28.1 g
  • carbohydrates: 0 g
  • lipids: 34 g
  • sodium: 567 mg

Cheddar cheese

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 403 kcalories
  • protein: 25.5 g
  • carbohydrates: 0.5 g
  • lipids: 33.4 g
  • sodium: 670 mg

Tome, cobblestone or brick from Cazelles Gabriel Coulet

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 384 kcalories
  • protein: 21 g
  • carbohydrates: 3 g
  • lipids: 32 g
  • sodium: 720 mg

AOP Abondance (Savoy cheeses)

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 401 kcalories
  • protein: 25 g
  • carbohydrates: 1 g
  • lipids: 33 g
  • sodium: 787 mg

Gorgonzola cheese

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 360 kcalories
  • protein: 19.4 g
  • carbohydrates: 0.1 g
  • lipids: 31.2 g
  • sodium: 1450 mg

Parmesan cheese

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 441 kcalories
  • protein: 39.4 g
  • carbohydrates: 1.87 g
  • lipids: 30.9 g
  • sodium: 1090 mg

Saint Paulin

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 370 kcalories
  • protein: 23.5 g
  • carbohydrates: 0.9 g
  • lipids: 30.4 g
  • sodium: 722 mg - is also available in a low-sodium version.

Beaufort

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 393 kcalories
  • protein: 26.6 g
  • carbohydrates: 3.71 g
  • lipids: 30.3 g
  • sodium: 506 mg

Cantal

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 371 kcalories
  • protein: 24.7 g
  • carbohydrates: 0.2 g
  • lipids: 30.3 g
  • sodium: 875 mg

Pont L'Evêque PDO

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 298 kcalories
  • protein: 22 g
  • carbohydrates: 0 g
  • lipids: 23 g
  • sodium: 701 mg

Picodon cheese

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 365 kcalories
  • protein: 20.9 g
  • carbohydrates: 1.33 g
  • lipids: 30.3 g
  • sodium: 560 mg

Pyrenean cheese made from cow's milk

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 376 kcalories
  • protein: 22.4 g
  • carbohydrates: 4.38 g
  • lipids: 30.1 g
  • sodium: 779 mg

Tomme de Savoie

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 361 kcalories
  • protein: 22.6 g
  • carbohydrates: 0.234 g
  • lipids: 30.1 g
  • sodium: 807 mg

Goat's crottin or raw milk

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 384 kcalories
  • protein: 23.2 g
  • carbohydrates: 0 g
  • lipids: 32.6 g
  • sodium: 405 mg

Caprice des Dieux

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 330 kcalories
  • protein: 15 g
  • carbohydrates: 0.8 g
  • lipids: 30 g
  • sodium: 1400 mg

Gouda

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 363 kcalories
  • protein: 24 g
  • carbohydrates: 0 g
  • lipids: 29.9 g
  • sodium: 747 mg

Cow's milk blue cheese

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 344 kcalories
  • protein: 18.6 g
  • carbohydrates: 0.9 g
  • lipids: 29.4 g
  • sodium: 1260 mg

Bleu de Bresse

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 348 kcalories
  • protein: 17.9 g
  • carbohydrates: 3 g
  • lipids: 29.3 g
  • sodium: 551 mg

Ambert shape

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 353 kcalories
  • protein: 19.8 g
  • carbohydrates: 4.14 g
  • lipids: 28.5 g
  • sodium: 921 mg

Bleu d'Auvergne

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 353 kcalories
  • protein: 19.7 g
  • carbohydrates: 1.4 g
  • lipids: 28.4 g
  • sodium: 1230 mg

Emmental

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 367 kcalories
  • protein: 28.2 g
  • carbohydrates: 0 g
  • lipids: 28.3 g
  • sodium: 277 mg

Sainte-Maure

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 344 kcalories
  • protein: 21.8 g
  • carbohydrates: 1.15 g
  • lipids: 28.2 g
  • sodium: 1040 mg

Brie

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 337 kcalories
  • protein: 19.6 g
  • carbohydrates: 2.2 g
  • lipids: 27.9 g
  • sodium: 645 mg

Pélardon

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 352 kcalories
  • protein: 23.8 g
  • carbohydrates: 0.85 g
  • lipids: 27.8 g
  • sodium: 572 mg

Reblochon

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 330 kcalories
  • protein: 20.8 g
  • carbohydrates: 0.094 g
  • lipids: 27.6 g
  • sodium: 477 mg

Rouy

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 335 kcalories
  • protein: 22.5 g
  • carbohydrates: 1 g
  • lipids: 27 g
  • sodium: 484 mg

Crottin de chavignol

Per 100 g :

  • energy: 329 kcalories
  • protein: 19.7 g
  • carbohydrates: 1.25 g
  • lipids: 26.9 g
  • sodium: 679 mg

Morbier

Per 100g :

  • energy: 347 kcalories
  • protein: 23.6 g
  • carbohydrates: 3.14 g
  • lipids: 26.9 g
  • sodium: 990 mg

Saint-Nectaire

Per 100g :

  • energy: 339 kcalories
  • protein: 24.4 g
  • carbohydrates: 0.228 g
  • lipids: 26.9 g
  • sodium: 328 mg

Pouligny Saint-Pierre

Per 100g :

  • energy: 328 kcalories
  • protein: 20.2 g
  • carbohydrates: 0.45 g
  • lipids: 26.8 g
  • sodium: 377 mg

Maroilles

Per 100g :

  • energy: 348 kcalories
  • protein: 28.2 g
  • carbohydrates: 0 g
  • lipids: 26.4 g
  • sodium: 933 mg

Halloumi

Per 100g :

  • energy: 333 kcalories
  • protein: 22.07 g
  • carbohydrates: 1.47 g
  • lipids: 26.4 g
  • sodium: 1250 mg

Mimolette cheese

Per 100g :

  • energy: 329 kcalories
  • protein: 24.9 g
  • carbohydrates: 0 g
  • lipids: 25.7 g
  • sodium: 1110 mg

Tomme cheese

Per 100g :

  • energy: 343 kcalories
  • protein: 28.6 g
  • carbohydrates: 0 g
  • lipids: 25.6 g
  • sodium: 697 mg

Saint-Marcellin

Per 100g :

  • energy: 283 kcalories
  • protein: 12.7 g
  • carbohydrates: 1.01 g
  • lipids: 25.4 g
  • sodium: 1520 mg

Pavé d'Auge

Per 100g :

  • energy: 304 kcalories
  • protein: 22 g
  • carbohydrates: 0 g
  • lipids: 24 g
  • sodium: 1600 mg

Coulommiers

Per 100g :

  • energy: 292 kcalories
  • protein: 19.4 g
  • carbohydrates: 0 g
  • lipids: 24 g
  • sodium: 506 mg

Vacherin Mont d'Or

Per 100g :

  • energy: 288 kcalories
  • protein: 17.6 g
  • carbohydrates: 0.671 g
  • lipids: 24 g
  • sodium: 450 mg

Chevrot

Per 100g :

  • energy: 288 kcalories
  • protein: 18.5 g
  • carbohydrates: 1.25 g
  • lipids: 22.8 g
  • sodium: 449 mg

Neufchâtel

Per 100g :

  • energy: 255 kcalories
  • protein: 9.15 g
  • carbohydrates: 3.49 g
  • lipids: 22.8 g
  • sodium: 334 mg

Valençay

Per 100g :

  • energy: 282 kcalories
  • protein: 17.5 g
  • carbohydrates: 2.05 g
  • lipids: 22.2 g
  • sodium: 824 mg

Chaource

Per 100g :

  • energy: 272 kcalories
  • protein: 17.4 g
  • carbohydrates: 1.35 g
  • lipids: 22 g
  • sodium: 792 mg

Camembert with raw milk

Per 100g :

  • energy: 267 kcalories
  • protein: 20.4 g
  • carbohydrates: 1.22 g
  • lipids: 20.2 g
  • sodium: 670 mg

Top cheeses with the least salt

As a reminder, the recommended daily intake of sodium is 400 to 800 mg.and up to at least 1200 mg / day for athletes, and perhaps even more so for ketogenic dieters. Ideally, you should only be neither overdosed nor deficientIf you don't, you risk exposing yourself to health risks.

This raises the question of cheeses that are more or less rich in salt (which, as a reminder, contains 40% of sodium).

Photo

Simply consult the above list of full-fat cheesesand raise their fangs on cheeses with sodium content per 100g of cheese can quickly exceed recommended intakesThis can quickly be reached if you choose to eat cheese as your main food in the morning.

If you suffer from certain illnesses whose salt could be harmful (hypertension ideally, you should avoid parmesan, gorgonzola, Caprice des Dieux, Saint-Marcellinetc... and eventually find their low-sodium version (this exists for certain cheeses such as Saint Paulin).

The cheeses listed below will be low in sodium, and therefore more suitable for people who need to reduce their salt intake. This list is taken from our top fat cheeses, from which we have removed those containing too much sodium.

  • Low-sodium Saint Paulin
  • Emmental
  • Reblochon
  • Rouy
  • Saint-Nectaire
  • Pouligny Saint-Pierre
  • Vacherin Mont d'Or
  • Neufchâtel
  • Brillat-Savarin PGI
  • Etc...

Top lactose-free cheeses

Now that we've seen which cheeses are higher in fat and lower in salt and sodium, let's take a look at those with the lowest possible lactose content.

Very low-lactose cheeses (traces)

In general, the older the cheese, the lower the lactose content because the bacteria present in the cheese transform lactose into lactic acid. In the case of mild or moderate lactose intolerance, it is best to choose these mature cheeses :

  • Saint-Albray
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Blue
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Gruyère cheese
  • Maroilles
  • Mimolette cheese
  • Edam
  • Emmental
  • Gouda cheese
  • Mimolette
  • Comté cheese
  • Cantal
  • Tomme cheese
  • Reblochon cheese
  • Raclette
  • the Saint-Paulin
  • Saint-Nectaire cheese
  • Gorgonzola
  • Picodon cheese
  • Savoy Tome
  • Goat's crottin or raw milk
  • Caprice des Dieux
  • Pélardon
  • Pouligny Saint-Pierre
  • Pavé d'Auge
  • the Coulommiers
  • Vacherin Mont d'Or

Low-lactose cheeses (1 to 2 g lactose per 100 g)

These should be consumed according to lactose tolerance. If no allergy problem, the lactose content remains so low as to be negligible in terms of health and figure.

In general, these are soft cheeses with less than 5g of carbohydrates per 100g:

  • Camembert cheese
  • le Rouy
  • Chaource
  • Brie
  • Mozzarella
  • Ricotta
  • Roquefort cheese
  • Beaufort
  • Tome, cobblestone and brick from Cazelles Gabriel Coulet
  • Pyrenean cheese made from cow's milk
  • Sainte-Maure
  • Crottin de chavignol
  • Morbier
  • Saint-Marcellin
  • Chevrot
  • Neufchâtel
  • Valençay
  • Abondance PDO
  • Brillat-Savarin PGI

Cheeses containing too much lactose

Last but not least the list of cheeses to avoid as part of a low-carb / chrono diet, but should be reserved for exceptional meals. Most of these are fresh cheeses, which contain too much lactose.

  • cottage cheese
  • the Saint Môret® brand
  • The Philadelphia® brand
  • Kiri®
  • le Caprice des Dieux® (The Caprice of the Gods)
  • Boursin® cheese
  • le Tartare®
  • le Carré frais® (fresh square)
  • cow's curd cheese

In other words, you should avoid cottage cheese, yoghurt and, of course, milk.. These foods contain lactose and growth promoters, which are harmful to health.

Finally, if you had to choose, you'd rather choose sheep's cheese over goat's cheeseThe latter is often a little dry and acidic.

The top cheeses with the most fat, least salt and no lactose

So here it is the top cheeses with the highest lipid content, low sodium and lactose-free (traces). To obtain this list, we extracted from our previous lists the cheeses that "matched" these three conditions.

The following cheeses are included in this ultimate top list, which will of course evolve over time:

  • Low-sodium Saint Paulin
  • Emmental
  • Reblochon
  • Saint-Nectaire
  • Pouligny Saint-Pierre
  • Vacherin Mont d'Or
Photo

As those who follow the "chrono" diet know, the amount of cheese to eat in the morning is calculated roughly as follows: at least the height above the metre, i.e. 75g if you're 1.75 m tall (to start with), then increase the amount of cheese to prolong satiety before lunch, especially for the elderly or athletes. Serve with quality bread weighing half as much as the cheese (traditional baguette, for example), with olive oil.

The choice of bread, and chrononutrition, are two fascinating subjects that will be the subject of articles in the near future...

Source photo illustration.

4 Responses

  1. Hello,
    Very interesting and useful article.
    However, I'd like to know which cheeses are the least fatty and the least salty - I haven't seen that combination.

    1. I haven't seen those low or very low in lipids / saturated fatty acids either.
      That's what I'm interested in too, please.

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