PHOTO CREDIT : EATLEAN based products , which ones will put the brakes on fat loss , and which ones are welcome additions to your diet ?
CHEESE Many of us like cheese and eat it in one form or another , but does cheese make you fat ? Well , it ’ s pretty simple ! A 100g serving of cheddar cheese packs a whopping 34g of fat and over 400 calories . So full-fat cheddar is out , but there are a number of low-fat and high protein options available for cheese lovers .
For cheddar cheese lovers , EatLean protein cheese contains just 3 % fat and 37g protein per 100g . It ’ s widely available and melts just like any other cheddar despite its low fat content .
Cottage cheese is also a great way to pack in the protein without consuming a ton of unwanted saturated fat calories .
Cottage cheese is also very versatile , and makes a great addition to green salads , fruit snacks , meat-based recipes and desserts . There ’ s quality in its protein profile too . When considering the biological value , a value between 0 and 100 which is determined by the amino-acid composition of a protein food , cottage cheese ranks highly at 85-90 . This means your body can digest it easily and it contains all of the amino acids you require to build lean muscle . In fact , cottage cheese is known as a ‘ complete protein ’.
YOGHURT This is a tricky one . Yoghurt can do wonders for your body , but can also be a dietary disaster if you allow yourself to fall foul of sales jargon . There are dozens of so-called ‘ healthy ’ yoghurts on the market just waiting to jump off the chiller cabinet and into our shopping bags . As a rule of thumb , it ’ s the fat-free yoghurts you need to be wary of , as these often contain more sugar than traditional yoghurt . Just remember : read before you feed !
Eating the right yoghurt does have its benefits . Greek yoghurt or plain yoghurt with no added sugar makes a great high protein snack . The best yoghurts are those containing live bacteria which offer a whole host of health benefits . To begin with , the lactose is converted by the bacteria into lactic acid , which helps your body digest it and may mean that even if you ’ re lactose intolerant you can eat it without experiencing discomfort . Not only this , the calcium in yoghurt can be absorbed by the body much more effectively than other milk products , because calcium needs to enter the body in an acid matrix . Because yoghurt converts lactose into lactic acid , this makes it the perfect candidate to maximise calcium absorption .
The advantages of eating yoghurt don ’ t end there ! It is rich in potassium and B vitamins , including B12 . It can also help strengthen and stabilise the immune system , provided you choose a brand offering ‘ live cultures ’. Live cultures are naturally probiotic and help to optimise bowel health and support immune function .
So there you have it , dairy doesn ’ t need to die a death , so long as you make educated choices .
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APRIL 2018 / MUSCLE & FITNESS 1 0 3