More flavor with less amounts can help cheese lovers with calories

Q. What do you suggest for people like me who love high-fat cheese?

A. Regular cheese is high in cholesterol-raising saturated fat - three or four ounces of most full-fat types contain a whole day's worth - as well as a lot of calories.

One strategy is to switch to reduced-fat and low-fat varieties. If you don't like one brand, experiment with others. Another approach is to select regular cheese that delivers more flavor in smaller amounts. A couple teaspoons of freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese can add a surprising amount of flavor to salads and baked dishes.

When slicing cheese from a block, try using a cheese plane. It slides along the surface of cheese and results in a thinner slice than most of us can cut with a knife.

If you eat cheese as a snack, put a small amount on a plate and eat it slowly as you savor the taste. Then follow it with a pear, apple or other cheese-compatible fruit. Most of us need to boost fruit consumption, and by the time you finish, you will probably be full enough that you will not be tempted to go back for more cheese.

Are diglycerides healthy or unhealthy? And what are they?

A. Experts say that diglycerides (also called diacylglycerides or DAGs) are safe and pose no known nutritional risks or benefits as food additives. They are simply a fat molecule missing one of its fatty acid building blocks.

Small amounts are used as emulsifiers, thickeners or binders, to keep oil from separating out in foods such as peanut butter and salad dressings. Short-term studies suggest that a special oil in which most of the fat is diglycerides instead of the normal triglycerides may cause our body to burn more fat and calories because of the way it processes diglycerides.

These fats are sent directly to the liver to be burned instead of circulating through the body.

Studies available so far suggest that substituting 1-3 tablespoons of such an oil for the oil or margarine you use now might produce small amounts of weight loss per year. However, we don't have long-term studies that establish their usefulness for weight control.

For now, evidence doesn't support these oils as any more effective for weight control than a plant-based diet that limits foods concentrated in calories (including oils) along with regular moderate activity.

• This column was provided by the American Institute for Cancer Research. Learn more about the group and its New American Plate program at aicr.org.