The Best Cheeses To Eat On Atkins

Shredded parmesan cheese next to a brick on a wooden table.

Image Credit: Fudio/iStock/Getty Images According to Atkins’ official site, a number of cheeses are optimal for the diet. By the time you reach Phase 2, almost all cheeses are acceptable. However, a number of them are also acceptable during the diet’s first phase. This is the phase where carbs are restricted the most, to no more than 20g of net carbs a day. The cheeses allowed in Phase 1 have the lowest amount of carbs.

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Zero Carbs

Cheddar is the best cheese for Atkins because it contains zero grams of net carbs per 1-ounce serving. If you don’t have access to labels to compare different cheeses, stick to aged cheeses. According to Astro Nutrition, these, along with full-fat, firm cheeses, are overall the best options.

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One Gram or Less

A number of cheeses contain less than a gram of net carbs per serving. For example, a tablespoon of parmesan cheese contains 0.2g of net carbs. Sheep and goat cheeses are also very low in carbs, at 0.3g of net carbs per 1-ounce serving. Other options under 1g include blue cheeses, Gouda, mozzarella and cream cheese.

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One Gram or More

The only two cheeses that are over 1g of carbs per serving but are still acceptable during Phase 1 are feta and Swiss cheese. Feta cheese contains 1.2g of net carbs per serving, and Swiss contains 1g.

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  references
  
      Atkins.com: Phase 1
    
      Astro Nutrition: Acceptable Foods
       




  references
  
      Atkins.com: Phase 1
    
      Astro Nutrition: Acceptable Foods
    




Shredded parmesan cheese next to a brick on a wooden table.

Image Credit: Fudio/iStock/Getty Images

Image Credit: Fudio/iStock/Getty Images

      Atkins.com: Phase 1
    
      Astro Nutrition: Acceptable Foods