Are Cheese and Dairy healthy?

We get questions about these two types of food frequently. 

Let me start by saying I’m assuming you’re not doing Paleo (which says “NO dairy and NO cheese”), or plant-based (which says NO to all animal products).

I’ll also assume you’re not doing Keto, which almost requires you to load up on dairy and cheese to eat enough fat every day! 

Let’s pretend you’re just curious if cheese and/or dairy can be consumed on a “healthy diet”:

YES, you can still eat cheese and be healthy.

YES, you can still eat dairy and be healthy.

Like the healthy carbs and fats listed above, it all comes down to your calories consumed in a day, and if these foods fit into your daily calorie goals:

1. Want to put cheese on top of your salad of chicken and vegetables? Great!
2.  Want to eat greek yogurt, a scoop of protein powder, and frozen berries for your breakfast? Amazing! 
3. Want to eat a bowl of cereal with skim milk (or whole milk) in the morning with your kid before school? No problem.

This is true for higher-fat cheeses or full-fat dairy too – the food just needs to fit into your goals! 

Luckily, all dairy comes labeled, and most cheese will come with a nutrition label on it too. 

Just make sure your portions are in line. For reference, here are four different servings of cheddar cheese (about 113 calories a serving):

And here’s a serving of greek yogurt (100 calories in 170 grams):

And although nobody in the history of the world has ever eaten an actual serving…here is a serving of ice cream:

(A scoop of ice cream the size of a tennis ball is about 127 calories, cleverly shown above.)

So, dairy and cheese are both perfectly acceptable health food options! Just make sure they fit into your goals. 

If you are NOT losing weight, and you consume a lot of dairy and/or cheese, consider measuring your intake and see if it’s in line with your expectations!