The question “is cheese ketogenic” is equivalent to asking whether the pope is Catholic. Cheese, being very low in carbs, moderately high in proteins and high in fat, is literally one of the perfect Ketogenic foods around, in the same vein as avocados for example. Studies have shown that while Cheese is high in saturated fat, there is little evidence that it increases the risk of heart disease and in fact has some preventative qualities against heart problems. In addition, cheese contains conjugated linoleic acid, believed to aid fat loss as well as improve body composition.
However, there are cheese and then there are cheeses, some cheeses are better for those on a Keto diet than others as you’ll see below:
5 Good Cheeses for the Keto diet
Goat Cheese – As goat’s milk has lower levels of lactose as compared to cow’s milk, it is better for digestion. In addition, goats cheese is also comparatively very low carbs vs the amount of calories and fats, so it is a good way to manage your Macros
Blue Cheese – As one of the smellier or pungent cheeses around, such cheeses actually give more flavor.
Cream Cheese – This is great for a fat load up, one tablespoon (51 calories) has 0.8 g of carbs, less than 1 g of protein, but 5 grams of fat!
Parmesan Cheese – The go to cheese for a flavor packed salad, it is salty, nutty and adds great depth to salads if you have a problem eating them
Dehydrated Cheese Crisps – Great for having cheese on the go, yet with all the benefits of cheese
5 Cheeses to avoid for the Keto Diet
Canned or Sprayed Cheese – in terms of Macros these seem fine. That being said, the problem with such products is that they are full of fillers and stabilizers, artificial gunk that you do not need on a Keto diet
“American Cheese” – Like canned/sprayed cheese, this is highly processed and proportionally contains a lot of carbs vs the amount of proteins and fats.
Yellow Cheddar – Not recommended due to the added annatto dyes added. Additionally, this is a relatively mild cheese and you may need to have more to get satiated – as compared to more pungent blue cheese for example.
Ricotta Cheese – This is higher in carbs than other cheeses.
Cottage Cheese – As with Ricotta, cottage cheese is also comparatively high in carbs as compared to its fat content, though its high in proteins.