The good cheese guide

The majority of us like to eat cheese. It is the great-tasting staple that

transforms bread right into a sandwich, salad right into a Ploughman's lunch and pasta

into macaroni cheese. But is cheese great for our overall health?

Based on the National Dairy Council, it supplies 12 pc from the calcium

within the British diet and it is an excellent supply of protein and nutrition - including

vitamins B2 (riboflavin), B12, A and D.

It is also smart to eat cheese following a meal because it neutralises mouth

chemicals helping minimise cavities.

But cheese may also be perilously full of body fat and saturates, plus some of

its experts also charge it with leading to catarrh and allergic reactions.

But cheeses aren't the same. Actually, there is a vast number of

nutrient values, so read our help guide to observe how your favourite cheese rates on

a scale of 1 to 5.

Brie Per 100g: calories 319, body fat 26.9g (saturates 16.8g), calcium 540mg

Despite its body fat-laden status, Brie is less body fat-wealthy than Cheddar or

Stilton and it has good amounts of calcium. It's also an acceptable supply of

zinc, required for a proper skin, defense mechanisms and reproductive health. The

soft rind is wealthy in vitamin B2 (thiamin), so it is advisable to eat it rather

than dispose of it.

Health rating: ***

Camembert Per 100g: calories 297, body fat (saturates) 23.7g (14.8g), calcium

350mg

THIS wealthy and creamy cheese really includes a third less body fat along with a quarter less

calories than Cheddar. It's abnormally full of folate and, for any soft

cheese, is wealthy in calcium. The edible rind is wealthy in thiamin, that is

required for energy release and healthy nerves.

Health rating: ***

Cheddar Per 100g: calories 412, body fat 34.4g (saturates 21.7g), calcium 720mg

CHEDDAR is among the greatest-body fat cheeses, that is not so good news thinking about it's

also our favourites. However, it's a great supplier of calcium and

provides respectable amounts of zinc. Orange Cheddar is just whitened

Cheddar with added orange colouring.

Health rating: ** to ***

Half-body fat Cheddar Per 100g: calories 261, body fat 15g (9.4g), calcium 840mg

This is not merely reduced body fat than usual Cheddar, it is also greater in

protein, calcium and zinc. Around the downside, it's reduced the body fat-soluble

vitamins A and D.

Health rating: ****

Cottage Type Cheese Per 100g: calories 98, body fat 3.9g (saturates 2.4g), calcium 73mg

The only real truly low-body fat cheese, with comparable body fat content as skinless

chicken white meat. The lower-body fat version is much more virtuous, with simply 78 calories per

100g, which makes it well suited for dieters. But cottage type cheese is extremely lower in calcium

in comparison along with other cheeses.

Health rating: ***

Cream Cheese Per 100g: calories 439, body fat 47.4g (29.7g), calcium 98mg

THIS is one of the unhealthiest cheese from the lot. It's an amount of body fat and

saturates comparable to double cream, but a calcium content of just a seventh of

those of Cheddar.

Health rating: *

Edam Per 100g: calories 333, body fat 25.4g (15.9g), calcium 770mg EDAM includes a

medium quantity of body fat and calories but a great calcium content - greater

than Cheddar. Regrettably, its sodium submissions are particularly top a

step to consider for those who have a household good reputation for high bloodstream

pressure.

Health rating: ***

Feta Per 100g: calories 250, body fat 20.2g (13.7g), calcium 360mg

CLASSIC Greek

cheese created using sheep's milk and might be appropriate for those who have a cow's

milk allergy. Includes a middling quantity of calcium but less calories than

half-body fat Cheddar and just another more body fat. However, includes a high sodium

content: 100g supplies two-thirds the suggested daily intake for ladies.

Health rating: ***

Flora Option To Cheddar Per 100g: calories 409, body fat 34.5g (8.5g),

calcium 700mg

Made using technology that swops a few of the highly saturated buttermilk for

sunflower oil. Has just as much calcium as full-body fat Cheddar but 60 pc less

saturated fats and 90 pc less cholesterol. But it's still a higher-body fat product

and really should be eaten moderately.

Health rating: ****

Mozzarella Per 100g: calories 301, body fat 25g (19g), calcium 515mg This can be a

medium-body fat cheese which may be disproportionately full of undesirable

saturates. However, includes a good calcium content and it is stringy character means a

little goes a lengthy way.

Health rating ***

Parmesan Per 100g: calories 452, body fat 32.7g (20.5g), calcium 1,200mg

More potent in protein than many cheeses and consists of comparable quantity of body fat

as Cheddar. It's amazingly full of calcium and merely 10g grated over pasta

supplies 15 pc from the suggested daily allowance (RDA).

Health rating: *****

Philadelphia Per 100g: calories 313, body fat 31g (19.4g), calcium 110mg

THIS full-body fat soft cheese has marginally less body fat than Cheddar but is a lot

reduced calcium. A more healthy alternative is Philadelphia Light with simply

half the body fat and saturate content. Both retain the additive E410, a

stabiliser produced from locust beans.

Health rating ** (full body fat) *** (reduced body fat)

Ricotta Per 100g: calories 185, body fat 14.8g (9.3rd generation), calcium 210mg

A Brand New,

unripened cheese produced from the whey protein of cow's milk, ricotta is of course much

reduced body fat than many cheeses.

It consists of low to medium levels of calcium but can also be lower in salt, so

is great for watching people their sodium intake.

Health rating ****

Stilton Per 100g: calories 411, body fat 35.5g (22.2g), calcium 320mg

SIMILAR in

body fat and calorie happy to Cheddar, but has under half the calcium

content. It is also high in sodium, but an advantage point is really a high

quantity of folate, now considered to lower cardiovascular disease risk. Weight for

weight, Stilton has got the equivalent this vitamin as broccoli.

Health rating: ** to ***

Swiss Per 100g (approximately): calories 400, body fat 30g (20g), calcium 1,000mg

Typical Swiss cheeses for example Gruyere and Emmental are extremely full of protein,

having a correspondingly high mineral content. A matchbox-sized piece (30g)

provides greater than 40 pc from the RDA for calcium and something-tenth from the RDA for

zinc.

Health rating ****