Because I'm nutritionally ******ed, and would rather hear it from people with experience than wikipedia. I love cheese... I used to eat a lot of it. I would put it on everything you can imagine.. I would bake my spaghetti so I could have a layer of crispy cheeeeseee.... well anyways! Since I started my diet, I have really, really cut down on the cheese. It's very rare that I even have it anymore. Is cheese good for you, is it bad for you, does it do anything to your digestive system??? Any info on cheese would be great. Thank you

BA, I am also a cheese lover. It's a dairy product and if you can enjoy it in moderation, I say why not? I have switched to Laughing Cow Light (35 calories a wedge) and to string cheese (80 calories a stick). You can even grate the string cheese to go on top of things if you like. I like grating it on top of my soup or bean burgers.

I love cheese too, so my advice will be a bit biased

I believe cheese in moderation is a good thing. It has calcium which your body needs. On the flip-side it also has lots of fat, so that's where the moderation part comes in. I decided I can't live without the stuff, so in my plan I've made room for a bit of cheese pretty much every day, now, the trick is, I ALWAYS weigh it before chomping down, otherwise I will end up eating too much.
Some people like the reduced-fat cheese, personally, I try to eat the one made with 2% milk more often, but I will also have the full fat, just less of it . Another trick I found very useful is to buy the pre-packaged cheese portions at Costco, that way I am only eating one portion at a time.

As for it doing things to your digestive system... I've heard that too much dairy can cause constipation.

Cheese is a good source of calcium, and a decent source of protein. It is also, however, high in calories for the volume you get.

I usually have some cheese in my diet each day, usually a reduced fat variety (either shredded 2% cheese or a laughing cow wedge), and count it as part of my calorie allowance. It helps me get to my calcium target for the day and there is something super-satisfying about cheese.

So true mandalinn, I would eat a chunk of cheese back in the day, just cuz it was super yummy. Thanks for all the tips, I'm going to have to run it by my aunt, who's the grocery buyer in the house (even though me and my mom pay too). She doesn't like to buy anything unless it's on sale... We have about 28 jars of salsa, because it was on sale. lol

OMG I could eat mozzarella sticks all day every day. lol

Nothing wrong with cheese...in moderation. It is dairy, and as long as your are not lactose intolerant, dairy is mostly a good thing. That said, however, a lot of cheese is high in fat and, therefore, high in calories so that is where the moderation part comes in. I cubic INCH of most cheese is around a hundred calories...so use it sparingly.

I often throw a handful of shredded Mozza in my salads, and I occasionally have a grilled cheese sandwich for breakfast. I eat cheese sticks (50 cal kind) for snacks. I avoid the creamy stuff mostly and stick to sharp cheddar if I am going the full-fat version -- more flavor in a smaller portion. Although, if there is Brie at a party, I usually manage to find a way to make it work with my calorie count for the day.

mmm, I'm having a little bit of cheese tomorrow morning!!!! ahaha

I love cheese, every kind of cheese, cheddar, swiss, manchego, brie, gouda, mimolette, gruyere, oh my goodness... I'm getting hungry! There's nothing wrong with having some cheese, even on a daily basis, as long as you're careful with your portions. Cheese is highly caloric, as others on this thread have mentioned, but can still be part of a healthy diet!

I'm all about the cheese. However, it is pretty calorie dense - so I just monitor my portions. I never, ever eat fat free cheese, as a cheese lover, I just can't do it.
I don't mind reduced fat feta or cheddar, though.

The key is to make a small bit of cheese look like more. Grate it up and you will find it seems like more than just eating one cube of cheese.

Cheese isn't that great for you. It's got a lot of fat.

That being said, I love it and I live with a french guy so it's an essential food group. I think it has it's own place on my food pyramid.

Enjoy whatever kind- a 1 oz piece. I have one daily and it's yummy. If you don't have a scale, it's approximately a 3cm cube or the width of your thumb.

I have some cheese most days. A little can just make such a difference. I use full-fat. Usually I have parmigiano, feta and sharp cheddar in the fridge.

I'm all about cheese. I have cheese practically everyday. Like Schumeany I occasionally have a grilled cheese sandwich for breakfast, instead of butter I spray my skillet with a little pam and I also add tomato slices. Seriously, there isn't nothing better than a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich for breakfast!!!

Oh, and I'm not a big fan of non-fat, but there are a few kinds of low-fat that are pretty tasty.

Cheese is very satisfying to me. Especially a good, sharp cheddar, much like a good dark chocolate. Sometimes I will use low fat for cooking, but I usually use full fat when I'm eating it plain.

Cheese, especially light cheese, is wonderful. It's full of protein and other good nutrients (we ladies need all the calcium we can get. I eat cheese often still- sometimes it makes up as much as 1/5 of my daily calories. In fact, I eat it as a meal (1 brick cheese, shredded mixed with one brick light/free cream cheese makes good, lighter crackers and cheese). Yum.