Almost everyone loves some type of soft cheese, whether it is a spreadable cream cheese or a soft, crumbly feta cheese. Soft cheeses include cottage cheese, ricotta, feta, cream cheese, blue cheese, mascarpone, labne, brie and fresh goat cheese. Soft cheese made from full-fat or whole milk contains significant amounts of unhealthy saturated fat, with amounts up to 7 grams of saturated fat per serving. Select fat-free or low-fat or try soft cheese substitutes such as low-fat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream or farmer’s cheese for ricotta cheese.
Salt is a standard ingredient in cheese making, and soft cheese such as cottage cheese, feta cheese and some spreadable cheeses are high in salt, with amounts close to 400 milligrams per serving. Low-sodium cottage cheese and feta cheese with less than 300 milligrams of sodium per serving is available. When comparing soft cheese, be sure and note that serving sizes vary.
Want to learn more about cheese? Read “Cheese Nutrition,” “Yogurt and Cheese: Diabetes Nutrition” and “Cheese May Help Control Blood Sugar.”
