Find out whether blue cheese is good for weight loss or fattening so you can put together a diet that works.
Overall, blue cheese is relatively high in calories but many of these come from proteins and fats which tend to be filling.
Additionally, consuming enough protein is important for weight loss and health.
The result of these things means that it is hard to say anything general about blue cheese being helpful when losing weight or fattening.
On the one hand, it can help you consume enough protein and potentially help you eat less of foods that are worse for weight loss.
On the other hand, it is still possible to eat too much blue cheese which would make it fattening.
It is fair to say that there are better foods and more specifically, better cheeses for weight loss than blue cheese.
At the same time, you can likely still eat reasonable amounts while still seeing positive results.
Calories in blue cheese
The number of calories in blue cheese is not everything. However, it does offer some useful information about how good this cheese is for weight loss.
One example of blue cheese contains about 353 calories per 100 grams (1).
Low-carbers may be happy to hear that blue cheese only contains about 2.34 carbs per 100 grams. In turn, blue cheese tends to be keto-friendly.
That aside, blue cheese is still relatively high in calories compared to many other food groups.
This is generally not that good for weight loss.
At the same time, you still want to know what sources these calories come from.
Protein in blue cheese for weight loss
How many of the calories above come from the protein in blue cheese is relevant for weight loss.
This macronutrient tends to be helpful for this goal for a few reasons.
Before going into these, 100 grams of blue cheese contain about 21.4 grams of protein (1).
If you want to compare, salmon contains around 25.4 grams of protein per 100 grams (2).
In simpler words, while there are even better options too, blue cheese is relatively high in protein.
The first reason this is helpful for weight loss is that protein is relatively filling.
Since many people struggle with hunger and cravings when trying to lose weight, this tends to be a helpful benefit.
Additionally, consuming enough protein is important for preserving and building muscle mass.
In turn, this muscle mass helps you burn more calories throughout the day. This is a good thing when it comes to losing weight.
Vitamins and minerals in blue cheese
When considering a food like blue cheese for your diet it is generally smart to look at the vitamins and minerals too.
While it is hard to put into exact numbers how much they help, consuming enough vitamins and minerals is generally a good idea when trying to lose weight.
100 grams of blue cheese contain some of the following vitamins and minerals:
- Calcium: 53% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Sodium: 48% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 39% of the DV
- Riboflavin: 22% of the DV
- Selenium: 21% of the DV
And other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
Blue cheese contains a lot of vitamins and minerals in big amounts.
This adds a few bonus points for weight loss and more importantly general health.
Does blue cheese help you lose weight?
By now, you know that blue cheese contains a good amount of calories but that many of these come from filling macronutrients like proteins and fats.
The result is that it is hard to make general statements about whether blue cheese is good for weight loss or not.
On the one hand, it should be possible to overeat blue cheese to the extent that it becomes fattening.
On the other hand, you will likely start feeling full relatively soon. You may not be able to hit the point above unless you really try.
There are also definitely foods that are worse for weight loss than blue cheese.
If blue cheese helps you eat less of these, it could help you lose weight.
Consuming enough protein is an important part of losing weight in a healthy way too. The vitamins and minerals can also be helpful.
In short, blue cheese can sometimes be decent for weight loss.
However, there are foods that are better than blue cheese if you really want to lose a lot of weight. This food can be fattening too.
Different ways to eat blue cheese for weight loss
How you eat blue cheese will influence the overall impact too.
Some of the more weight-loss-friendly ways to eat blue cheese are on its own or in something like a salad.
On the other hand, pasta, lasagna, and pizza with blue cheese will generally not be good for weight loss.
Additionally, sauces and dressings with blue cheese also tend to be not preferable when trying to lose weight.
