With that said, consuming cheese comes with a catch! Unfortunately, not every cheese is made equal, but this guide tells all. From figuring out how to choose the right kind to know which to avoid, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of this classic food.

Benefits of Cheese on Keto Zone

Cheese has a surprisingly huge laundry list of benefits: (1,2,3)

• Prevents viruses and heart disease (take a quick look at The Keto Diet and Heart Disease: What You Need to Know!)
• Improves gut health by providing good bacteria
• Holds valuable minerals like magnesium, zinc, and selenium which can reduce blood pressure, boost the immune system, and reduce your risk of cancer
• Includes alpha-linoleic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that lowers inflammation
• Contains oleic acid which stabilizes cell membranes.
• High in calcium, vitamins A, K2, and B12, zinc, riboflavin, and phosphorus

Right alongside its advantages is how easy it is to include in your diet. Cheese’s taste and texture makes it the perfect addition to salads, eggs, and virtually any savory meal or snack, like these Keto Broccoli Cheese Bites.

How to Choose the Right Cheese

There are four ways to tell if the cheese you’re eyeing is good for you:

• It’s not homogenized
• It’s not pasteurized
• It’s organic
• It’s grass-fed

Homogenized and pasteurized milk goes through unique shelving and preserving process that can often ruin some of its nutritional content. When processed milk is used to make cheese, it can ruin the cheese’s nutrients as well.

Buying organic is crucial for dairy products. Organic means the milk came from an animal that was fed a pure diet without any synthetic hormones, which means you, in turn, aren’t ingesting any chemicals or hormones that can wreak havoc on your body.

Grass-fed is also important because it’s the natural diet for cows. Dairy animals fed grains or artificial foods tend to have less nutritional content in their milk, which means you aren’t consuming as many nutrients as well.

Best Cheeses to Eat on Keto Zone

Cheeses that are low-carb and high-fat with a good number of probiotic bacteria are your best bet on the keto diet. Here are some top choices:

• Brie
• Cheddar
• Colby
• Cream Cheese
• Feta
• Havarti
• Monterey Jack
• Parmesan
• Provolone
• Swiss

And these are just the tip of the iceberg! There are hundreds of cheese options to choose from, and as long as you stick with the low-carb, high-fat, organic, and grass-fed rules, you should be good on the keto-friendly front.

Need another good cheese recipe? Make Keto Zone Cauliflower Mac and Cheese for a deliciously cheesy, low-carb meal!

Cheeses to Avoid on Keto Zone

Highly processed and high-carb cheeses won’t work on the keto diet. Processed cheeses often contain artificial preservatives, dyes, flavors, and sugars, which only contribute to more inflammation in your body. Try to avoid these:

• Bagged pre-shredded cheese
• Low-fat or reduced-fat cheese
• Vegan cheese substitutes like soy cheese
• American cheese pre-sliced singles
• Cottage cheese
• Canned or spray cheese

Although the above cheeses may seem like great, easy options, they’re all either loaded with carbohydrates, sodium, or harmful chemicals that do more harm than good. Instead of buying pre-shredded, you can always grate your own at home!

It should also be noted that for those with lactose intolerance or an allergy to the milk protein, casein, the benefits of cheese don’t overrule your symptoms. If you have reactions like gas, bloating, diarrhea, cramping, hives, or itching after eating cheese, it’s best to stay away from eating it all together.

Bottom Line

As long as you take care in choosing the right kind, cheese is a great way to increase your fat and protein intake. Go ahead and add some organic, grass-fed cheese to your holiday cheese platter this season and reap the keto benefits!

The post Your Guide to Cheese on the Keto Zone Diet appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

Then this easy keto egg  and cheese muffin recipe is for you!

Loaded with healthy low-carb veggies, these muffins will provide you with all the nutrition you need to get your day started off right.

Organic eggs and turkey bacon provide protein, while MCT oil powder adds a dose of healthy fats to fuel your brain and nervous system.

The best part is you can make these muffins in advance to give you a quick and easy healthy breakfast all week long.

Ingredients

6 organic/pasture-raised eggs, whisked
5 slices organic turkey bacon, cooked and chopped
1 organic shallot, chopped
2 cups organic spinach, chopped
1/2 cup organic cheese, shredded
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon organic black pepper
1 scoop MCT Oil Powder (Unflavored)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat.
3. Place turkey bacon in the skillet, cook until crispy, and remove from pan.
4. Chop the turkey bacon, shallot, spinach, and mushrooms and set aside.
5. Crack eggs into a medium mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.
6. Add the chopped veggies, bacon, cheese and MCT Oil Powder and mix until well combined.
7. Use ghee or coconut oil to grease a muffin pan.
8. Evenly distribute egg mixture throughout the muffin pan.
9. Place muffin pan in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until the muffins begin to turn golden brown.
10. Remove muffins from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
11. Serve and enjoy! (Muffins will keep in the fridge for up to a week.)

Nutrition Facts

Yield: 9 muffins

Serving Size: 1 muffins

Per Serving:

Calories: 75 kilocalories

Fat: 5 grams

Total Carbohydrates: 5 grams

Fiber: 4 grams

Net Carbs: 1 grams

Protein: 5 grams

The post Easy Keto Zone Egg and Cheese Muffins appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

Dr. Colbert created an indispensable grilling recipe that needs to be on your monthly dinner rotation. Make sure you get your grilling in while the weather is still warm!

Our Grilled Stuffed Chicken Cutlets are a high-fat, low-carb entree option for you to try this week — all you need is a grill, chicken, cheese, and seasoning.

 These chicken cutlets pair perfectly with sauteed green beans, roasted cauliflower, or if you need more inspiration, our Keto Zone Sprout Salad.

What sides do you like for dinner? Share with us your favorite side dishes to add with chicken! 

Ingredients

• 4 pastured chicken cutlets
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 4 slices provolone cheese
• 4 slices prosciutto
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• ½ lemon
• 4 skewers

Instructions

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Place each chicken cutlet between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or heavy pan, pound evenly to ½ inch thickness.
3. Lay the chicken on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, black pepper, oregano, and crushed red pepper.
5. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the chicken pieces. Top with provolone, prosciutto, and 2 tablespoons of parsley.
6. Roll the cutlets to enclose the filling and secure with 2 parallel skewers, placing 2 cutlets on each of the skewers.
7. Drizzle with oil and grill for 5 minutes per side to get grill marks.
8. Transfer the skewers off direct heat and continue to grill over indirect heat for another 10-1 minutes, turning after 5 minutes. Temperature should register 170°F.
9. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes, then remove from the skewers. Squeeze lemon over the cutlets and garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 cutlet

Calories: 224 kilocalories

Fat: 17.8 grams

Protein: 12.3 grams

Carbohydrates: 4.78 grams

Net carbs: 3.78 grams

Recipe found on page 132 of Dr. Colbert’s Quick and Healthy Keto Zone Cookbook – more recipes included!

The post Dr. Colbert’s Stuffed Chicken Cutlets appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.