In addition to enhancing the flavor and texture of your favorite foods, cheese is alsonutrient-rich.

Hard cheeses have the most calcium due to their lower water content, making them more nutrient-dense.

The good news is that cheese is significantly lower in lactose than milk and yogurt.

Assorted cheeses

Shutterstock

Hard, aged cheeses are the lowest in lactose and are generally well tolerated in small amounts.

Cheeses with the highest amounts of lactose include ricotta and cream cheese.

Probiotics are found primarily in aged cheeses that are not pasteurized.

person choosing cheese at the grocery store

Shutterstock

Some cheesemakers are even adding probiotics to their cheese.

For example,Babybel Plus+ Probioticreportedly has one billion live and active cultures per serving.

Their results also reported an inverse relationship between cheese consumption and cardiovascular disease.

Woman holding stomach on couch

Shutterstock

Cheese is primarily comprised of casein, a slow-to-digest protein that also promotes protein synthesis post-exercise.

Cheese is nutritious, but it’s also high in calories, making it easy to overconsume.

An ounce of most hard cheese, like cheddar, has around 100125 calories, depending on the variety.

Cheese in a heart

Shutterstock

wine and cheese

Shutterstock