Low Sodium Cheese

Finding low sodium cheeses is quite difficult. They are not readily available at most local grocery stores. Of course, you can always order them from a low sodium online source, but I don't like the idea of plunking down a bunch of money for a product and its shipping, only to discover that it tastes yucky. My local grocery stores all carry Alpine Lace Reduced Sodium Muenster Cheese (1 slice = 85 mg. sodium) in the self-service section of their delis. The cheese tastes OK (muenster is rather bland to start with), but it is very soft and almost impossible to separate. I don't buy it very often as a result.

My local Safeway carries its house brand of sliced Primo Taglio Reduced Fat Low Sodium Lacy Swiss (1 slice = 35 mg. sodium). It's usually pretty easy to separate the slices, so I buy it often and use it in sandwiches. Alpine Lace Reduced Fat Swiss is fairly low in sodium too (1 slice = 90 mg. sodium). Because it's a Swiss cheese, the thin slices are also easy to separate.

I've found that Swiss cheese has the lowest sodium content of any regular type cheese; most regular cheese has 170 mg. sodium per oz. or even more. You have to check the labels, of course, but most blocks of Swiss cheese have a sodium content similar to the Tilamook Swiss Cheese (1 oz. = 60 mg.) I often purchase. I'll even buy sliced Swiss from the deli counter after I ask about its sodium content. Look for naturally lower sodium Swiss cheese blocks at your local grocers.

Our favorite cheese is Tilamook Sharp Cheddar (1 oz. = 170 mg. sodium). Obviously, I have to be careful using it, and I've developed a "work around." When I shred cheese, I use half sharp cheddar & half block Swiss. Doing it that way, I lower the sodium content considerably and the flavor is as good or even better. Another thing I do is shred cheese in advance and freeze the shreds.That way I can add just a sprinkling to any dish that needs a little visual "punch."

I've discovered that fresh mozzarella cheese is also naturally low in sodium. My local grocery stores carry Mozzarella Fresca (1 oz. = 95 mg. sodium) and Smoked Mozzarella Fresca (1 oz. = 25 mg. sodium). Trader Joe's Ovoline is also only 25 mg/oz.  The fresh mozzarella is quite soft, so before I slice it for pizza, I usually stick it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This stiffens it up enough so I can slice it fairly easily. You might have better luck just cutting it into cubes. That's what I usually end up doing. Also, it's packed in a brine, so I dry it in paper towels before adding it to any dish. Check out the fresh mozzarella offerings at your local grocery stores.

Safeway carries an unsalted cottage cheese. Unfortunately, it doesn't taste that good all by itself! It's very good in lasagna, spanakopita, enchiladas, ziti, and baked goods. If you like to eat plain cottage cheese, you might want to try one of these "work around" options. OPTION #1: Buy one container of the Lucerne No Salt Added 1% Cottage Cheese (1/2 cup = 45 mg. sodium) and one container of Lucerne 2% Cottage Cheese (1/2 cup = 410 mg. sodium). Combine the two containers and re-pack. Now you'll have a lower sodium cottage cheese (1/2 cup = 228 mg. sodium) that has some flavor. OPTION #2: Buy one container of the Lucerne No Salt Added 1% Cottage Cheese (1/2 cup = 45 mg. sodium) and add 1/2 tsp. of Kosher salt (or less); mix well. This will also give you a lower sodium content (1/2 c. = 180 mg. sodium). Again, not a perfect low salt solution. However, by itself, it is just fine in any casserole type dish where it's combined with some robust flavors.