Low-Cholesterol Cheese: How to Pick the Healthiest Options

Which Cheeses Are Low in Cholesterol?

Which Cheeses Are Low in Cholesterol?
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Updated on September 25, 2025
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A good source of protein and bone-building calcium, cheese can certainly have a place in a well-balanced diet.

Cheese often gets a bad reputation, though, because many kinds of it are high in dietary cholesterol, which is often linked with cardiovascular risk, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). But dietary cholesterol is different from blood cholesterol — the latter of which is linked with certain heart health concerns (more on this below).

In the past, federal dietary guidelines recommended limiting dietary cholesterol to 300 milligrams (mg) per day. More recent guidelines are a bit looser, and they suggest keeping your consumption of dietary cholesterol "as low as possible without compromising the nutritional adequacy of the diet," according to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Cheese and Saturated Fat

Recommendations around eating dietary cholesterol have become more flexible, but cheese isn’t totally off the hook. Foods that are higher in dietary cholesterol tend to be higher in saturated fat. And eating saturated fat can raise the level of LDL cholesterol in your blood, which can increase your risk of stroke and heart disease, according to the AHA.

It’s not a perfect rule, but you can assume that if a cheese is high in cholesterol, it is likely high in saturated fat — and ‌that‌’s what you want to be mindful about when it comes to heart health. The AHA recommends limiting your intake of saturated fat to less than 6 percent of your daily calories.

For a 2,000-calorie daily diet, that translates to a daily maximum of 120 calories from saturated fat, or 13 grams (g) of saturated fat.

The chart below outlines the amount of cholesterol, fat, and saturated fat content in a 1-ounce (oz) serving of some of the most popular cheeses.

Cholesterol, Fat, and Saturated Fat Content in 1 Oz of Cheese

Type of Cheese

Cholesterol (mg)

Fat (g)

Saturated Fat (g)

‌Soft Goat‌

13

6

4

‌Brie‌

28.4

7.9

4.9

‌Provolone‌

19.6

7.6

4.9

‌Low-Fat Cheddar‌

6

2

1.2

‌Cheddar‌

28.1

9.5

5.4

‌Low-Fat Mozzarella‌

18.2

4.5

2.9

‌Blue‌

21.3

8.2

5.3

‌Low-Fat Ricotta‌

8.8

2.2

1.4

‌Low-Fat Cottage (2%)‌

3.4

0.6

0.4

‌Parmesan (Hard)‌

19.3

7.1

4.2

‌Feta‌

25.3

6.1

3.8

‌Gouda‌

32.4

7.8

5

‌Gorgonzola‌

30

9

5

‌Camembert‌

20.7

6.9

4.3

‌Swiss‌

26.4

8.8

5.2

Source: USDA

Cheese and Cholesterol

Cheese is an interesting food product, because it can be made in a wide variety of ways. You wouldn’t really compare a tub of crumbled feta with a freshly made soft mozzarella, after all. These differences don’t just change the flavor of your food; different cheeses also have different amounts of cholesterol and fat, according to MyFoodData.

Certain cheeses, like Gouda and Gruyere, contain more than 30 mg of cholesterol per oz. Provolone and Parmesan, on the other hand, contain fewer than 20 mg per oz.

For Less Cholesterol, Choose Low-Fat Cheese

Low-fat cheeses tend to be lower in cholesterol — and in saturated fat. One oz of low-fat cheddar cheese contains just 1.2 mg of cholesterol, while an oz of regular cheddar cheese contains 28 mg of cholesterol.

Low-fat cheeses, like low-fat cottage cheese and ricotta cheese or nonfat cheddar, have very little cholesterol. In fact, low-fat cottage cheese has only 3.4 mg. Nonfat cheddar has a total of 5 mg (low-fat, on the other hand, has 6 mg). Even the popular salad topper Parmesan can be a healthy choice, with just 19 mg per oz. You’ll notice that low-fat cheeses are also low in cholesterol — a win-win for your health, especially that of your heart.

How to Make Cheese Part of a Healthy Diet

It’s certainly possible to include cheese in a healthy diet. But it’s important to note that cheese can contain high amounts of saturated fat — something to be mindful of, especially when it comes to heart health.

A diet high in saturated fat can increase your overall cholesterol levels. For that reason, keep your intake of saturated fat to less than 6 percent of your total daily calories, according to the AHA.

Opting for low- or reduced-fat cheese not only cuts your cholesterol intake, it also lowers how much saturated fat you eat. If you do go with full-fat cheese, adjust the rest of your diet accordingly, so you don’t go over those daily recommendations.

Another way to cut how much cholesterol and saturated fat you get from cheese is to use a little less. Sprinkle a small amount over tacos or burritos. And cut the amount that you use in casseroles and other recipes by one-quarter to one-half. These types of tweaks can go a long way.

Common Questions & Answers

Is feta cheese high in cholesterol?
Feta cheese contains 25 mg of cholesterol per ounce and less than 4 grams (g) of saturated fat.

Cheeses marketed as low-fat are going to have less fat than their full-fat counterparts. These low-fat cheeses also tend to have less cholesterol than full-fat cheese. Take cottage cheese, for example:

  • A 1-oz serving of cottage cheese with 2 percent milk fat contains 3.4 mg of cholesterol and 0.65 g of fat.
  • A 1-oz serving of cottage cheese with 4 percent milk fat contains 4.8 mg of cholesterol and 1.2 g of fat.

The differences are slight, but they can add up.

Full-fat dairy — including cheese — is high in saturated fat, which can contribute to high cholesterol, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

To keep your cholesterol in check, limit your cheese intake to about 3 ounces per week, advises the Cleveland Clinic. Choose part-skim cheese and low-fat or non-fat dairy products to reduce your saturated fat intake.

This distinction is an important one. Dietary cholesterol is the cholesterol found in animal-based foods. Some common sources are high-fat meats, processed meats, eggs, butter, and full-fat dairy, per the AHA.

While dietary cholesterol previously was labeled as a major contributor to heart disease, more recent research walks back on the claim, finding a lack of evidence for a strong relationship between dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular risk, per the AHA. That said, foods high in cholesterol are often high in saturated fats. Saturated fats are still associated with higher risks for cardiovascular disease.

Blood cholesterol is found in the blood; it is "one of eight essential measures of heart health," per the AHA. Higher LDL cholesterol levels are associated with greater cardiovascular risk, and foods high in saturated fat can contribute to this.

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