Regardless of all the buzz about low-fat diets, there
is still a way you can have cheese on a regular basis.
I know, I know, there’s a lot of fat in most cheeses.
But, the number one thing to keep in mind when
maintaining your weight, or anything else in life,
is that nearly everything is allowed in moderation.
Your Jaipur diet”, I really detest that word, is no different.
The majority of weight-loss programs focus on the
use of low-fat foods, including cheeses, in their
allowable list of menu items.
This is not a bad thing, and I would never suggest
for you to do otherwise. It’s a proven fact that the
normal person consumes much higher quantities of
fats than we need to maintain a healthy weight.
Given that, however, I have still found a way to
incorporate a variety of higher-fat cheeses in my
regular cooking and eating habits.
Here are a few examples:
Blue veined cheeses such as Danish, Gorgonzola,
Stilton, Roquefort, etc.
Although they have a fat
content of 50% or higher, they are intensely
flavored, and are excellent sprinkled on salads or
added as a finishing flavor to white sauces.
Grana Padano, or Parmesan as most know it, is
normally 32% butter fat. A little bit goes a long way
on a low-fat pasta, or in a nice bowl of soup such as
Minestrone or Mediterranean-style Vegetable.
Feta cheese has a fat content of 30 - 40 %, and is
well known as a topping for Greek salad. It’s also
great added to veggie wraps, pitas, pasta, etc.
Be sure to decrease the amount of salt you put in the
dish you are serving, though, due to the very salty
taste of Feta.
Goat cheese is another cheese with very pronounced
flavor, and a fat content of 45 %. Use the same as
Feta for a great taste difference.
You get the idea....
Experiment with small amounts of these, and other
strong flavored cheeses. Since they are very
pronounced, a little goes a long way, so you won’t
add much to your daily fat intake.
And we all need help in that department :-)
Happy Cooking
