How Much Cheese Can You Eat on Keto? - Kaze Blog (2024)

FAQs

How Much Cheese Can You Eat on Keto? - Kaze Blog? ›

The Bottom Line. Cheese is delicious and supports a healthy keto diet. To maintain ketosis and weight loss, limit yourself to 1-3 ounces of cheese per day. It's fantastic as a snack or ingredient in any recipe!

Overdoing it on meat and cheese has its own health risks and may lead to weight gain, as these foods contain a lot of calories (primarily from fat). Going low-carb isn't a license to eat as much of these foods as you want.

So how much cheese is enough? Now that you know what happens when you consume large quantities of this very delicious food, let's tell you how much cheese is enough. The American Heart Association recommends eating no more than three portions of cheese per day, which each serving capped at 42 grams of cheese.

“If your diet, in general, is very low in saturated fats and sodium, having two to three ounces of cheese a day may be safe,” says Supan. “If you're trying to eat healthy or have any heart concerns, I would try to stick to one ounce of high-quality cheese a day, or maybe even less than that a few times a week.”

While cream cheese is suitable for the keto diet, practitioners warn against going overboard. Of course, consuming cream cheese in large amounts can easily skew your daily macros. Limit consumption of cream cheese to the regular serving size of 2 tablespoons.

(Just remember: Cheese isn't “unlimited” in a keto diet, as it still contains calories and carbs; it's also high in saturated fat, which is a less heart-healthy option than unsaturated fats, per the American Heart Association.)

All types of cheese are allowed on the keto diet, as cheese is relatively low in carbohydrate, which complies with the key principle of the keto diet. The Ketogenic diet or “keto” diet is a low carbohydrate and high fat eating plan.

For example, cheddar cheese has less than 1g carbs, 9g fat, and 7g protein while gouda cheese has less than 1g carbs, 8g fat, and 7g protein per serving. That means it's okay to have up to three servings of gouda or cheddar and still say within your daily keto carb limit of 20-50 grams[*].

40 grams is just under a 1/3rd of that so 40 grams of whole cheddar is about 1/6 of the package. So, 40 grams of cheddar looks like a piece of the package pictured about 3/4 inch long. 1/4 pound (115 g) of grated cheddar is one cup. So, 40 g of grated cheddar looks like about 1/3 cup (about 10 g per tablespoon).

What does 1 oz of cheddar cheese look like? ›

How do you measure an ounce of cheese? For semi-hard or hard varieties of cheese, an ounce is roughly the size of two dice-sized cubes.

That's about the size of a proper portion of cooked pasta, rice or sliced fruit. It's also a model size for cereal and whole fruits. A thumb = 1 ounce of cheese Stick out your thumb. From tip to base is the correct size for one serving of cheese.

These dressings could include: traditional vinaigrettes. creamy dressings, such as blue cheese, ranch, or thousand island. dressings that the manufacturers have specifically marketed as “keto” or “low carb”

The best keto cheeses include cheddar, Gouda, goat cheese, and blue cheese, while the worst are cottage cheese and low fat and processed varieties. If you're following the keto diet or know someone who is, be sure to keep these cheeses in mind to promote ketosis and meet dietary goals.

Peanut butter can definitely be part of a keto diet, but it's best to stick to plain options that are free of extra flavors and sweeteners. Almond butter is a good choice, too, and it's slightly lower in carbs. Additionally, you should be mindful of your portion size if you're trying to lose weight.

For example, cheddar cheese has less than 1g carbs, 9g fat, and 7g protein while gouda cheese has less than 1g carbs, 8g fat, and 7g protein per serving. That means it's okay to have up to three servings of gouda or cheddar and still say within your daily keto carb limit of 20-50 grams[*].

Cheese is a great source of protein and calcium but is often high in saturated fat and salt. This means eating too much could lead to high cholesterol and high blood pressure, increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Not only is cheese delicious; it can totally work in a healthy pattern of eating—even the full-fat kind, and even when you're following a weight-loss program, assures Caroline Passerrello, MS, RDN, LDN, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and an instructor at the University of Pittsburgh.

Is it possible to overeat low-carb foods? Yes, it's possible. Even though they are low in carbs, nuts, and seeds are high in calories and can be easy to overeat.