Swiss Cheese in Special Diets

Swiss is one of the healthiest cheeses available. Here is how Swiss cheese fits into some common specialty diets:

Low sodium diets: One ounce of Swiss cheese has about 54 mg of sodium. Meanwhile, the same serving of cheddar cheese has 176 mg. of sodium — that’s more than 300 percent more. Use a few cubes of Swiss in your next salad instead of croutons!

Low potassium diets: A serving of one ounce of Swiss has about 22 mg of potassium, which fits perfectly into a low-potassium diet. High-potassium foods generally have more than 200 mg. Try some Swiss crumbles in your next batch of chili instead of beans, which are high in potassium.

High protein diets: The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture suggests that adults need about 0.8 g. of protein per kilogram of body weight. One ounce of Swiss cheese has about 7.63 grams of protein — which comes out to about 10 percent of what a 200-pound person needs per day. Proteins serve as a type of building block for bones, muscles, skin and blood in your body.

High calcium diets: Healthy adults should eat between 1,000 and 1,200 mg a day in calcium. One slice of Swiss cheese helps reach that goal, as it contains about 220 mg of calcium. Calcium promotes strong bones and heart health.

Low-fat diets: Swiss cheese has lower fat content than most cheeses. Cheddar cheese has 9.4 grams of fat in a one-ounce serving while Swiss has just 7.88 grams. Substitute Swiss for cheddar in just about any recipe for a healthier choice.

Here are some of our favorite Swiss cheese recipes to help you get started on putting more healthy Swiss into your diet!