Cheese: Fresh, aged, creamy, flavored… This is one of the foods you’ll find most often on Italian dinner tables. But how can we eat it without putting on any extra pounds? "Even if cheese has an important caloric content, which can exceed 400 calories per 100 grams, it is not a food to avoid. But it should be eaten in moderation. First of all, cheese should be eaten no more than twice a week in the right quantity, which on average should not exceed 50 grams for aged cheeses and 80-100 grams for fresh cheeses," explains nutritionist Valentina Schirò, who specializes in food science. It should also be paired correctly for meals depending on the time of day.
The classic mix of mozzarella (or ricotta, robiola, crescenza, etc.) and tomato as Caprese, for example, should be avoided by those suffering from digestive difficulties. "The lactose present in fresh cheeses, associated with acidic foods, promotes gastric fermentation and abdominal swelling," explains the expert.
Another mistake to avoid is eating fresh or aged cheeses after lunch or dinner. "You risk overdoing it with fat, cholesterol, and calories, which weigh on your health and your figure. Even the classic combination with cold cuts or other protein sources (eggs, meat, fish) should be avoided. "Excess protein not only slows down digestion but also produces a surplus of waste substances that risk straining the kidneys – slowing down the elimination of excess fluids and toxins, which are responsible for water retention and swelling.”
To keep from gaining weight, it’s better not to eat cheese with jam, honey, and the particularly sweet varieties of fruit such as figs, grapes, pears, and dried dates. "You risk filling up with simple sugars that are assimilated very quickly by the body and cause a peak production of insulin, a hormone that stimulates hunger and with time, leads to weight gain,” explains the expert, who has a few suggestions on pairing cheese to avoid putting on those dreaded extra pounds.
At breakfast with toasted bread and extra-virgin olive oil
If you’re a savory breakfast fan, fresh and aged cheeses can be a good source of protein to start the day – as an alternative to milk or yogurt. They have a good satiating effect. "A small square of aged or semi-aged cheese, for example, combined with complex carbohydrates and fibers of toasted whole-wheat bread and the good fat of extra-virgin olive oil will give you sustained energy without peaks in blood sugar and without affecting the waistline or your health," says nutritionist Valentina Schirò.
At lunch with arugula and onion
"Vegetables and vegetable fibers slow down the absorption of fat and sugar in cheese. They act positively on cholesterol, of which they are particularly rich, favoring the increase of the levels of the ‘good’ HDL," says nutritionist Valentina Schirò. "In addition, vegetables provide useful nutrients to reduce the absorption and eliminate waste substances released during the digestion of a meal. To enhance their benefits, just add an onion, raw, or cooked, which has an excellent diuretic effect when combined with vegetables.”
A snack with nuts
A square of aged cheese combined with 2 or 3 walnut kernels is the ideal snack to recharge your energy levels and counteract tiredness when you need it most. "The carbohydrates and proteins in the cheese, combined with the good Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats in the nuts, slow down the digestion of sugars and keep insulin secretion under control, providing a feeling of fullness. Cheese is also a good source of B-complex vitamins. In particular, it provides vitamin B12, which is useful for the proper functioning of the metabolism. The abundant amount of magnesium present in walnuts, on the other hand, helps to counteract the action of sodium, which cheeses are particularly rich in (especially aged cheese), facilitating healthy blood circulation.”
At dinner with lettuce and avocado
Aged cheeses should be avoided at dinnertime, especially if you have trouble falling asleep. "Cheese contains tyramine, a substance that promotes insomnia, which over time facilitates weight gain. They are also particularly rich in sodium, which stimulates thirst and keeps you from getting a good night’s sleep.” To counterbalance the stimulating effect and to facilitate rest, if you cannot avoid eating cheese in the evening, it’s ideal “to prefer fresh cheeses with a lower fat content that provide satiety without too many calories.” The recommended pairing? Ricotta cheese with avocado and lettuce. This combo will facilitate rest and keep you from gaining weight. "Rich in tyrosine and tryptophan, [ricotta cheese combined with the essential fatty acids of avocado, stimulate the production of sleep hormones including melatonin, while the lettuce features minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium, that promote relaxation and rest,” concludes nutritionist Valentina Schirò.