Light Cheeses Prove To Have Nice Flavor

Cheese is surely one of America's best-liked foods. In 1990, we ate 24 pounds of cheese per person in the United States. That's more than twice as much as we were eating in 1970. Because the most popular cheeses (American, cheddar, Colby) are high in fat, many consumers have sought out lower-fat alternatives.

In this search, the misconception that white cheeses are "better" got started. Unfortunately, this guideline does not work. Part-skim mozzarella, a lower-fat cheese, typically contains about 5 grams of fat per ounce. Two other popular white cheeses, Swiss and Monterey Jack, each contain 7 to 9 grams of fat per ounce, similar to cheddar. Creamy havarti gives you 11 grams of fat per ounce. None of these qualify as low-fat foods.

It's much easier to find reduced-fat cheese today than it was even a year ago; however, "light" or "lower" on the label doesn't guarantee a better product. Ignore the color of the cheese, read the nutrition label, and buy those with 5 or fewer grams of fat per ounce. Remember that 1 ounce of cheese is only a 1-inch cube. Even in lower-fat cheeses, the grams of fat add up quickly.

Let's look at the new lower-fat versions of two imported cheeses. Both are natural, aged cheeses from Scandinavia with significantly less fat than their regular versions. Look for them at stores featuring specialty cheeses.

Creamy havarti is one of the highest-fat cheeses available. Now, MD Foods offers us an opportunity to enjoy the unique flavor of creamy havarti with a fat level much closer to that of mozzarella.

Each ounce of MD Foods Light Havarti contains 6 grams of fat instead of the 11 grams normally in creamy havarti. This means a remarkable 45 fewer fat calories per ounce. Even so, this cheese is far from being fat-free. Like mozzarella and other lower-fat cheeses, it's best to eat it in combination with other very-low-fat foods.

Light Havarti, like other cheeses, is a good source of calcium. One and a third ounces of it has as much calcium as 8 ounces (1 cup) of milk. Unfortunately, in the process of reducing the fat, the sodium went up from 200 milligrams per ounce to 240 milligrams, putting it on the high side for people with high blood pressure.

Although not a perfect "5" in my nutrition rating because of the fat and sodium, the makers of Light Havarti deserve praise for their efforts. I tasted this cheese and was favorably impressed.

MD Foods Light Havarti Cheese Fitzgibbons' nutrition rating: 3 1/2 stars Serving size 1 ounce Calories 80 Fat 6g Fat calories 54 Saturated fat 4g Cholesterol 20mg Sodium 240mg Diabetic exchanges 1 medium fat meat

Ten years of development went into creating Jarlsberg Lite cheese. Traditional Jarlsberg is a mellow Norwegian version of Swiss cheese, complete with the "eyes," or holes.

With only 4 grams of fat per ounce, new Jarlsberg Lite has half the fat of typical Swiss cheeses. This makes it one of the lowest-fat aged cheeses available. The amount of sodium in Jarlsberg Lite is higher than typical Swiss-type cheeses, but it is still not high enough to be a problem for people with high blood pressure.

Jarlsberg Lite does not have as much calcium as other Swiss-type cheeses, but still compares favorably with mozzarella or cheddar. An ounce and a half of it has as much calcium as 8 ounces (1 cup) of milk.

I was also able to taste Jarlsberg Lite and was impressed. Even with the low fat content, it melts and has the texture of similar higher-fat cheeses. Jarlsberg, too, deserves compliments for developing a "real" cheese with reduced fat.

Jarlsberg Lite Cheese Fitzgibbons' nutrition rating: 5 stars Serving size 1 ounce Calories 80 Fat 4g Fat calories 56 Saturated fat 3g Cholesterol 10mg Sodium 120mg Diabetic exchanges 1 medium fat meat

(Copyright, 1991, Tribune Media Services) On the Label appears Wednesday in the Food section of The Times.

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FITZGIBBONS' NUTRITION RATING ##### Use with confidence on a low-fat, low-cholesterol or low-sodium diet. #### Use with some considerations such as the amount of sodium, kind of fat or the implied nutrition claims on packaging. ### Use in moderation. ## Use only occasionally, if at all. # Best left on grocery shelf.