The Big Cheese Lowdown

Brie and cheddar are yummy but, like many cheeses, they're loaded with calories and artery-clogging saturated fat. It's okay to indulge occasionally, but if cheese is a staple in your diet, stick with versions that have no more than 75 calories and 4 1/2 grams of fat per ounce. And consider harder cheeses like Jarlsberg and Swiss, which typically contain 200 mg or more of calcium per ounce. (Softer cheeses have lower amounts of the bone-preserving mineral.)

Here, some tasty, low-fat options:

Calcium-rich (200 mg or more calcium per ounce):

• Cabot 50% Light Cheddar (plain or jalapeño)

• Cabot 50% Light Pepper Jack

• Jarlsberg Lite

• Kraft Swiss Cheese 2% Singles

• Borden or Kraft 2% Singles

• Ricotta, reduced fat or light (e.g., Sargento Reduced Fat or Polly-O Lite). Calcium levels vary, so check the labels.

Lower in calcium (0 to 100 mg per serving):

• Farmer's cheese (brands vary in different regions)

• Coach Farm Reduced Fat Goat Cheese (plain, pepper, dill or herb)

• 1% or 2% cottage cheese