FitSugar

Kraft Shredded Cheese Breakdown

FitSugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:00:00 -0800

I'm not going to lie to you - I love cheese. I use it all the time to add a hint of flavor, protein, calcium, and cheesy goodness to my foods. I honestly believe that cheese makes everything better. I also love anything that makes my life easier, so every week, I buy bags of shredded cheese to sprinkle on my salads, soups, sandwiches, pasta, and omelets.

When I walked down the dairy aisle, there's a huge variety of shredded cheeses, and I wondered how they compared nutritionally. So I decided to make this handy chart of Kraft shredded cheeses. For all the 8-ounce packages, the serving sizes varied between either seven, eight, or nine servings per bag. I did some calculations to make it easier to compare them, so all these numbers are based on 1-ounce serving sizes.

Serving Size = 1 ounce	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Protein (g)
Mild Cheddar	112	9	6.8	25	33.8	1	6.8
Mild Cheddar Finely Shredded	110	9	6	25	180	1	6

To see the rest read more.

Serving Size = 1 ounce	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Protein (g)
2% Milk Reduced Fat Mild Cheddar	80	6	3.5	20	230	1	7
Sharp Cheddar	123.8	10	6.8	28	180	1	6.8
Sharp Cheddar Finely Shredded	110	9	6	25	180	1	6
2% Milk Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar	80	6	3.5	20	230	1	7
Fat-Free Cheddar	45	0	0	5	280	1	9
Organic Cheddar (6 oz. bag)	120	10	6	30	180	1	6
Low Moisture Mozzarella	80	5	3.5	15	200	1	7
Low Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella	80	5	3.5	20	220	1	6
2% Milk Reduced Fat Mozzarella	70	4	2.5	15	200	1	8
Fat-Free Mozzarella	45	0	0	5	340	2	8
Organic Mozzarella (6 oz. bag)	80	5	3.5	15	200	1	7
Mozzarella and Parmesan	90	6	4	20	210	1	6
Monteray Jack	100	8	5	25	190	1	6
Colby & Monteray Jack	100	8	5	25	190	1	6
Colby & Monteray Jack Finely Shredded	100	8	5	25	190	1	6
2% Milk Reduced Fat Colby & Monteray Jack	80	5	3.5	15	230	1	7
Cheddar & Monteray Jack	100	8	6	25	170	1	6
Swiss	110	8	5	25	60	1	7
Mexican Cheddar Jack	110	9	5	25	190	1	6
2% Milk Reduced Fat Mexican Four Cheese	80	5	3.5	15	240	1	7
Mexican Cheddar Jack With Jalapeno Peppers	110	9	5	25	190	1	6
Mexican Taco	105	8.8	6.1	26	210	.9	6
Italian Style Five Cheese	90	6	3.5	20	240	1	7
Pizza Four Cheese	90	7	4.5	20	220	1	6
Pizza Mozzarella & Cheddar	90	7	4.5	20	200	1	6

Cheese Fights Cavities?

FitSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Like my claymation pals Wallace and Gromit, I love cheese. With its high concentration of saturated fat, cheese doesn't have a healthy reputation. I just learned a new reason to love cheese - it helps fight cavities.

From its texture to its mineral contents, cheese helps keep your teeth healthy. The texture of cheese actually increases the secretion of saliva, which helps keep cavities at bay. Nutrients found in cheese, like calcium, phosphorous, and protein, actually neutralize plaque. Eating a chunk of cheese after a sugary treat will neutralize the negative effects that sugar has on your teeth. Plus, cheese might also help remineralize tooth enamel, which means stronger teeth. Talk about a winning situation for your mouth, from taste to health.

As a cheese lover, I find this news heartening. What about you?

Source

Cheese Quiz

FitSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0700

I will easily admit that cheese makes me weak in the knees. I love it, but needed to review why cheese should be savored in moderation and not take center stage at a meal. Take this short quiz to see if you know your health-related cheese facts.

Source

Take the quiz

How Much Cheese Is Too Much?

FitSugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:30:00 -0800

I was talking to my grandmother the other day and she asked me what I was making for dinner. When I said, "homemade mac and cheese," she said, "You shouldn't eat cheese. It'll clog your arteries." While she's right that the cholesterol in cheese can be harmful to your heart, that doesn't mean you necessarily have to give it up entirely.

Eating foods high in cholesterol and saturated fats, mainly dairy products, meat, and eggs, can raise the total level of cholesterol in your body, which can lead to heart problems and stroke. When it comes to cholesterol, you want to shoot for:

Total cholesterol level	HDL level (good cholesterol)	LDL level (bad cholesterol)
Less than 200 mg/dL	60 mg/dL or higher	Less than 100 mg/dL

So what does this mean when it comes to your diet (and your cheese consumption)? I'll tell you if you read more

No matter what, after you hit 20 years old, you should get your cholesterol checked every five years. If your total cholesterol is over 200 mg/dL, your HDL level is less than 40 mg/dL, you have other risk factors associated with heart disease and stroke (such as high blood pressure), or you're a man over 45 or a woman over 50, your doctor will probably recommend you get it tested more often.

If you get your cholesterol checked, and everything seems healthy, then it's OK to consume about 300 mg of cholesterol a day. If your levels aren't looking too good, then my gram is right - you'll want to cut back on the cheese, meat, eggs, and other dairy products and consume less than 200mg of cholesterol a day. Look for low fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat.

Fit's Tips: Another great way to improve your cholesterol, is to get at least 30g of fiber a day, limit your sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg a day, and be sure to exercise regularly.

Source

Cheese Breakdown

FitSugar — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:15:00 -0800

Since you guys enjoyed my fun cheese quiz, I thought that now would be a good time to break it all down. Yes, we all love cheese, so instead of cutting it out of your diet completely use this helpful breakdown to try and stick to the lesser of the evils in the cheese world.

To see a breakdown of 20 popular cheeses, just read more.

Cheese (1 oz.)	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Protein (g)	Calcium (mg)
American (Slice)	105	8.8	5.5	417	6.2	154.6
Brie	95	7.9	4.9	179	5.9	52.3
Bleu	100	8.2	5.3	396	6.1	150
Camembert	85	6.9	4.3	239	5.6	110.2
Cheddar	114	9.4	6	176	7.1	204.8
Chèvre (Goat Cheese)	103	8.5	5.9	146	6.1	84.5
Feta	75	6	4.2	317	4	140
Gorgonzola	99	8	5.1	312	6	n/a
Gouda	101	7.8	5.0	232	7.1	198.5
Gruyère	117	9.2	5.4	95	8.5	287.1
Laughing Cow	95	8.1	5.4	230	6.8	202.9
Monterey Jack	107	9.7	6	180	6.7	200
Mozzarella (Part-Skim)	72	4.5	2.9	176	6.9	222.1
Mozzarella (Whole Milk)	85	6.3	3.7	178	6.3	143.4
Parmesan	128	8	5.0	18	12	n/a
Provolone	100	7.6	4.9	249	7.3	214.7
Ricotta	39	2.2	1.4	35	3.2	77.1
Roquefort	105	8.7	5.5	514	6.1	188
Swiss	108	7.9	5.0	55	7.6	224.6
Velveeta	81	6.1	4.1	416	5.1	152.1

What's to take from all this? Well Part-Skim Mozzarella is clearly one of the best choices, especially since it's low in calories, saturated fat, and sodium, but high in calcium and not to mention tasty.

Source

Cheese: The Facts and the Fat

FitSugar — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 11:45:00 -0800

Do you love cheese? I do. I really, really do. So I thought I would bone up on my favorite way to eat dairy. Check out the facts and fat on cheese. Take this short quiz to see if you know your health-related cheese facts.

Source

Take the quiz

Annie's Mac and Cheese

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 14:30:00 -0700

To say I have a weakness for mac and cheese would be an understatement. As a picky eater, I grew up on the stuff along with PB and J. It's a wonderful comfort food, perfect for Sunday evening or when you're feeling under the weather.

I grew up with Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, but now that I can actually read labels, I won't touch the stuff. Enriched macaroni product just doesn't do it for me anymore.

I'm a huge fan of Annie's Shells & Real Aged Cheddar. Her mac and cheese is made with organic semolina pasta shells from durum wheat. Plus it's made with real cheese instead of cheese sauce mix.

Want to see how I make it even healthier? Then read more

On the box, it says that there are two and a half servings per container, but that's a really tiny serving (I think). I usually end up eating half the prepared batch and I add tons of broccoli too which ups the amount of calcium. Just cut up a cup (or more) of broccoli, and when the pasta has a minute left to cook throw it in the boiling water. Then after a minute, drain the water out, add the cheese mix and milk, stir and enjoy.

Serving Size	1/2 the box prepared
Calories	337
Total Fat	5g
Saturated Fat	3g
Cholesterol	12.5mg
Sodium	662mg
Carbs	57g
Fiber	2.5g
Sugar	6g
Protein	12g

This mac and cheese is creamy, smooth and delicious. The cheesy flavor isn't very strong, so sometimes I even add a little extra shredded cheddar on top. The sodium content seems a little high, but since we can have 2,300 mg a day, it's really not that bad.

Fit's Tips: This tastes great with cooked carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, mushrooms, and corn too. Experiment with all your favorite veggies and this familiar meal just got healthier.

A Breakdown of Tiny Tastes

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:15:00 -0700

I'm a huge fan of enhancing my meals with a little somethin' somethin'. A slice of cheese here, a pat of butter there, a smear of peanut butter on that. It's just a little bit, so it can't really affect my diet, right?

Well, if you're trying to lose weight, cutting calories is the way to do it. If you're always adding and sprinkling and smearing extras onto your food, well all those little things could start to add up. I'm not saying you need to ditch the little pleasures of life, like a dollop of mayo, but here's a breakdown so you can add them up for yourself. It's just good to be conscious of what they're worth, instead of just pretending that they don't mean much.

Want to see the random list of common tiny tastes? Then read more

	Serving Size	Calories	Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Protein (g)
Cheddar Cheese	1 slice (1 oz.)	114	9.4	176	.4	7.1
American Cheese	1 slice (1 oz.)	105	8.8	417	.4	6.2
Avocado	1/4 of the fruit	72	6.7	3.4	3.7	.9
Tomato	1 slice (1/4" thick)	4	.1	0	.9	.2
Cucumber	1/4 of whole, sliced	11.2	0	1.5	2.7	.5
Hummus	2 tbsp	54	2.6	72.6	6	1.4
Salt	1/4 tsp	0	0	581	0	0
Pepper	1/4 tsp	1.2	0	.2	.4	0
Heinz Ketchup	2 tbsp	30	0	380	8	0
Heinz Organic Ketchup	2 tbsp	35	0	355	8.8	0
Yellow Mustard	2 tbsp	6	.4	112	.8	.4
Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard and Country Mustard	2 tbsp	10	0	240	0	0
Beaver Honey Mustard	2 tbsp	30	0	90	4	0
Honey	1 tbsp	64	0	.8	17.3	.1
Peanut Butter (salted, chunky)	2 tbsp	188	15.9	150.4	6.7	8
Cream Cheese	2 tbsp	90	9	75	0
Salted Butter	1 pat	36	4.1	28.8	0	2
Balsamic Vinaigrette	2 tbsp	90	8	300	4	0
Ranch Dressing	2 tbsp	148	15.6	287	1.3	.4
Mayonnaise	2 tbsp	180	20	180	0	0
Bread and Butter Pickles	1 slice	6	0	54	1.5	.1
Sweet Pickle Relish	2 tbsp	39	.1	243	10.5	.1
Whipped Cream	2 tbsp	70	.7	60	.6	1.6
Chocolate Fudge Syrup	2 tbsp	133	3.4	132	24	1.7
Strawberry	1 large, sliced	6	.1	.2	1.4	.1

Source

Food Review: Amy's Cheddar Cheese Burrito

FitSugar — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 03:30:00 -0700

If you don't know by now, I'm a huge fan of foods from Amy's Kitchen. I love her Vegetable Lasagna and Stuffed Pasta Shells, and her canned Vegetable Barley Soup is really tasty and filling.

Sugar users juju and james bond girl suggested I try Amy's burritos. You can find them in the freezer section of most health food stores. They weren't too expensive - about $3 or 4 each - and they have a few varieties such as Bean & Cheese (I tried this one), Bean & Rice, Black Bean Vegetable, Breakfast (with tofu and potatoes), Indian Spinach Tofu Wrap, and Southwestern (with jalapeño peppers and black olives).

Want to know what I thought of Amy's Bean & Cheese Burrito? Then read more

Serving Size	1 burrito
Calories	300
Total Fat	9g
Saturated Fat	2.5g
Cholesterol	10mg
Sodium	580mg
Carbs	43g
Fiber	6g
Sugar	1g
Protein	11g

This burrito was the perfect size, and it was very tasty - not very spicy, with just enough seasoning. The pinto beans and cheese were mixed to create a soft and creamy consistency. When I looked inside, I could still see whole pinto beans, which is always a good thing.

The whole wheat flour tortilla was wrapped tightly enough and never once unraveled, so I didn't have to worry about it becoming a huge explosive mess as burritos often tend to be. I also liked that after taking this burrito out of the freezer, it only took 2 1/2 minutes in the microwave to warm up.

Amy's burritos definitely get a thumbs up from me. With 11g of protein and 6g of fiber, they're a great option when you need a quick meal.

Diet Tip: Eat Protein at Every Meal

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 09:30:00 -0700

So you are trying to change how you eat and looking to lose weight, and one way to keep you on a path of good nutrition and weight loss is to eat protein at every meal.

It is said that protein is more satisfying than carbohydrates or fats, and thus may be the new secret weapon in weight control. Plus, eating enough protein helps preserve muscle mass and encourages fat burning while keeping you feeling full. So be sure to include healthy protein sources, like yogurt, cheese, nuts, beans, or lean meat at meals and snacks.

Do you know how much protein you should be eating daily? This post will help you figure out your needs. Here is a list of protein in foods to help you meet your RDI!