What are the healthiest types of cheese? What about the tastiest (and least fattening) varieties? Understanding this can be daunting, especially in the dairy sea of hundreds of cheeses. But just because one is watching the calorie or fat intake doesn't mean they have to cut dairy out of the diet completely; just know what cheeses will work for and with the body.

According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who ate an ounce of full-fat cheese daily (a portion about the size of a thumb) gained fewer pounds over time than women who did not. This is because whole dairy can encourage the metabolism, using conjugated linoleic acid.

Also, it helps to understand the basics of cheese. For example, many people assume that the soft creamy cheese are more fattening, but in reality these cheeses have less fat and fewer calories than harder cheese because they have more water in every bite. Look to the local farmer's market for fresher cheeses that are less expensive.

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