National Grilled Cheese Day is a totally unofficial holiday, but we celebrate it with great enthusiasm every April 12th anyway. Grilled cheese is delicious, and it can be nutritious and great for your dental and overall health. Read on for all the details, and some amazing recipes – then let the celebration begin!
But first, a little history lesson…
Cheese has been around for almost forever, so has bread, and no doubt people were happily heating and eating these two favorite foods together since around the time that fire’s effect on food was discovered. But the gooey deliciousness that we now associate with a grilled cheese sandwich can be traced back to the 1920s, when Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented a bread slicer. Teamed with the processed cheese that had just been patented by James L. Kraft, and you had an easy and cheap recipe.
Back then, a grilled cheese was known as a “cheese melt” or “toasted cheese” and was typically served with the cheese melted on just one slice of bread. Recipes calling for a second piece of bread show up in cookbooks dating back to the late 1930s. The actual term “grilled cheese” doesn’t make an appearance in print until the 1960s.
And now, grilled cheese can be as simple or fancy as you want to make it. But is it good for your oral and overall health?
Say Cheese
Research indicates that cheese is your smile’s best food buddy. Cheese – especially aged cheese – contains natural cavity-fighting agents, as well as vitamins that strengthen teeth. The calcium and phosphate in cheese helps balance pH levels in the mouth, preserves tooth enamel, produces saliva, and kills bacteria that cause cavities and disease.
Cheese is a great way to end a meal, as it will help your teeth recover from whatever acidic and/or sweet foods you may have consumed. It’s also an excellent snack on its own. But is it still healthy when its melted between two slices of bread?
It depends.
Healthy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Most of the benefits of cheese are present in a grilled cheese sandwich, except for the increased saliva production that occurs when you munch on firmer foods like a chewy cube of cheddar or other semi-hard or hard cheese.
The type of bread you choose also has a huge impact on the healthiness (or not) of your grilled cheese sandwich. Overly processed foods like white packaged breads aren’t the best choice. Whole grain, minimally processed bread without added sugars is far better.
And consider how you’re “grilling” your cheese. If you’re slathering it in butter or mayonnaise – it’s probably not a meal you’d want to indulge in daily. If you’re grilling it under a broiler or using a sandwich press, it’s probably a healthier food choice.
Grilled Cheese Ideas
For some great ideas for grilled cheese sandwiches that you can happily eat often, check out the recipes here. You’ll also find an impressive number of grilled cheese options (some healthier than others) here.
No matter how you choose to make your grilled cheese, remember that eating healthy is just part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Getting your wellness and dental checkups is critical to your overall health, as well. If budget is a concern, consider a dental savigns plan, which can save plan members 10-60% on most dental procedures. Many plans also come with other wellness savings, such as discounts on prescription drugs, hearing, vision, and chiropractic care, as well as telehealth services.
See how you can lead a happier, healthier life one smile (and bite!) at a time. Learn more about dental savings plans here.
FAQs
Grilled cheese sandwiches aren't the cause of weight gain; however, they may hinder your weight loss progress. A grilled cheese sandwich can pack 500 calories or more depending on its assembly and the cooking method.
Is it OK to eat grilled cheese everyday? ›
And consider how you're “grilling” your cheese. If you're slathering it in butter or mayonnaise – it's probably not a meal you'd want to indulge in daily. If you're grilling it under a broiler or using a sandwich press, it's probably a healthier food choice.
Is grilled cheese considered junk food? ›
The traditional grilled cheese sandwich is made with American cheese. Unfortunately, two slices contain 220 calories (90 of them from fat,) 12 grams of saturated fat and 360 mg of sodium! The key is going with a less fattening cheese like Swiss, goat cheese, low-fat mozzarella or vegan cheese.
Is cheese on toast unhealthy? ›
However, the popular cheddar cheese is high in saturated fat and salt. Eating too much saturated fat is linked to high cholesterol and too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, both of which increase your risk of heart and circulatory disease.
What makes grilled cheese unhealthy? ›
Use a healthy fat.
To make grilled cheese, the bread is traditionally slathered in butter (or sometimes mayonnaise) to create that beautiful golden-brown toasted exterior. Butter (and mayo) are both high in unhealthy saturated fats and should be limited as much as possible, recommends the American Heart Association.
Can I eat cheese and still lose weight? ›
Can eating cheese help you lose weight? While upping your cheese intake won't shift the scale on its own, some research suggests that eating more dairy products could be helpful as part of a broader weight-loss program.
Which is healthier, PB&J or grilled cheese? ›
A grilled cheese sandwich is not much healthier than a pb&j sandwich. It contains less sugar but it has more 'bad fat' (saturated fat). If you're still hungry, you can add one cup of fat-free unsweetened Greek yogurt.
Does grilled cheese bind you up? ›
If you are chronically constipated, overeating fried food, processed meats, commercially baked goods and other high-fat items may be responsible. Cheese as a particular constipation culprit. Fats are tricky to digest, and take a long time for the body to break down.
Is it OK to eat grilled cheese at night? ›
While cheese is generally considered a comfort food, it is actually one of the worst foods to eat before bed. Strong or aged cheese, as well as preserved meats such as bacon, ham and pepperoni, contains naturally high levels of the amino acid, tyramine, which make us feel alert.
What are the healthiest sandwiches to eat? ›
Good sandwich choices include sliced deli or rotisserie chicken, turkey, ham, lean roast beef, canned salmon or tuna, nut butter, grilled tempeh or tofu, smashed cooked beans, and reduced-fat cheese.
Melted cheese is just as nutritious as unmelted cheese. Current evidence shows that while heating cheese changes its structure, this doesn't impact it's nutritional quality or digestibility. When you heat up cheese, it undergoes changes that make it softer and easier to melt.
What cheese is not fattening? ›
Cottage cheese is low in fat, but higher in sodium. Ricotta cheese is also lower in fat, but higher in sodium. Feta cheese is low in calories but also lower in protein and higher in sodium. Goat cheese is also low-calorie but higher sodium and not super protein rich.
Can you eat grilled cheese on a diet? ›
The basics for a healthier grilled cheese include a flavorful cheese and whole-grain bread. Cheeses with strong flavors allow you to use less cheese in your sandwich. Grating the cheese helps it melt around the other ingredients, reducing the need for multiple slices of cheese.
Is cheese worse for you than butter? ›
One randomized controlled trial, for example, found that butter raised LDL cholesterol significantly more than cheese did. [2] In large studies of overall dairy on health, this finding usually holds up; butter is among the least healthy dairy foods, and cheese is among the most healthy.
Can we eat grilled sandwich during weight loss? ›
It's Yes if your sandwich is whole grain, low fat protein, and lots of veggies, scant on the mayo and cheese. Add fruit and low fat milk to cover all the bases. NO if it's white bread lots of cheese, high fat meat or cold cuts, chips and a sweetened drink.
Is cheese healthy or not for weight loss? ›
Cheese is a great source of protein and calcium but is often high in saturated fat and salt. This means eating too much could lead to high cholesterol and high blood pressure, increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Does grilled cheese have a lot of calories? ›
Nutrition Information: One sandwich contains 400 calories, 19 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 18 g protein, 39 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 6 g sugars, and 520 mg sodium.
Will cutting out cheese help me lose weight? ›
If you're in the process of trying to lose weight, eating cheese to excess may also impede your ability to hit your weight loss goals based on your desired timeline because of the sugar, fat, and calorie content found in many kinds of cheese. That's why cutting down on them can help aid weight loss.
