THE ESSENTIAL
- There are more than 1,200 varieties of cheese in France.
- They can be made from cow’s, goat’s, sheep’s or buffalo’s milk.
- In recent years, “false mages” have emerged: they are vegan because they do not contain animal products.
A milky break between the turkey and the log… The cheese is a must for festive meals, in addition to being an emblem of French gastronomy. Made with milk, it is more or less refined, which gives a wide variety of products. Thus, their composition and their manufacture give them different aspects and tastes, but also vary the number of calories they contain. For the end-of-year celebrations, it may be interesting to choose varieties with fewer calories.
Water-rich cheeses are the lowest in calories
“The more water a cheese contains, the less calories it has”recalls the site The cheese box. If you want to consume less calories, it will be necessary to choose cheeses rich in water. Cottage cheese is the cheese that contains the least fat, especially since some light versions are 0%. It takes regarding 50 calories per 100 grams of cottage cheese. However, it is more suitable for preparing recipes or a dessert than a cheese platter for the end of the year celebrations. Ricotta is also among the lowest calorie cheeses, but this Italian specialty is also not conducive to meal of parties.
From mozzarella to Mont-d’Or, lighter cheeses for end-of-year holiday meals
To limit the calories consumed and keep a festive spirit, you can count on fresh cheeses such as small logs of goat cheese or fresh cow cheeses.
To give a touch mediterranean at your meal, you can also offer feta. For fans of Italy, mozzarella is also one of the low-calorie cheeses, but once more, it is not the most suitable for the classic cheese platter, so why not replace it with scarmoza? It is a cheese whose preparation is similar to mozzarella, but which is smoked.
Otherwise, there are some classics of the French cheese tradition, whose caloric weight remains moderate. The cancoillotte, a specialty from the East of France, contains only 120 calories per 100 grams, including 4 grams of fat. It can be eaten with a spoon or on bread. The camembert, if it is not placed on a slice of buttered bread, is also rather low in calories: less than 300 calories per 100 grams. Better to avoid consuming 100 grams, however, it is better to limit yourself to a small piece. Finally, Coulommiers and Mont d’Or also contain less than 300 calories per 100 grams.
Conversely, it may be interesting to know the cheeses with the most calories: these are Brillat-Savarin, Ossau Iraty and Parmesan. All three are around 400 calories per 100 grams.
Cheese, to be consumed in moderation!
As with all foods, it is not the product itself that causes weight, but the amount consumed. For cheese, it should not exceed 30 to 40 grams per day. In terms of proportion, that’s regarding two fingers.
