Do you think that perhaps you were a mouse in a previous life?

Do you adore all types of cheese, and choose a cheese plate for dessert over chocolate cake?

Do you choose recipes based on the type of cheese they contain?

You can eat cheese and avoid weight gain! Cheese is definitely calorie-dense, because of the fat content. One ounce of most cheese has 110 calories and 9 grams of fat. Even worse for your heart, the majority of the fat in cheese is saturated, the type of fat that contributes to elevated cholesterol levels.

There are three ways to continue your love affair with cheese without resigning yourself to living in wide-waist sweatpants:

1. Think small. One ounce of cheese is the size of 4 dice or your entire thumb, from the tip to the base (if you have a small-size thumb). When you purchase a block of cheese, slice it into one-ounce servings so you don't overeat. If you use cheese in cooking, a small amount of a strongly-flavored cheese goes a lot further than a larger amount of a mild cheese.
2. Look for naturally lower fat cheeses such as part-skim mozzarella, farmer's cheese, and Neufchatel. Goat cheese typically has less fat than cow's milk cheese.
3. Try low-fat cheese. I simply adore Cabot's 50% reduced fat cheddar! Yeah, I'm from Vermont where Cabot makes it cheese, but the judges at the US Championship Cheese Contest in 2007 agree with me. They gave the Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Jalapeno top scores for the reduced fat category! Low-fat versions of ricotta, Swiss, and American cheeses are commonly available as well. Just make sure you keep the portion size small, or you'll get more fat and calories than you realize.