Last Updated on September 17, 2023 by Aaron
The ketogenic diet is a dietary plan to consume low-carbohydrate and high-fat food. In other words, a high ratio of fat to carb is ideally the best. So, which cheese is good for keto? is gorgonzola compliant? We’ll find out.
Gorgonzola is made from unskimmed whole cow’s milk. It contains 25-35% fat, moderate protein, and very low carbohydrate. It is a perfect option for people who are having a ketogenic diet.
The USDA data shows that 100g of gorgonzola cheese contains 21g of protein, 32g of fat, and 4g of carbohydrate. The recommended keto is less than 50 grams per day according to source. It’s totally okay to include gorgonzola in your keto diet.
That said, we shouldn’t just look at the carbs alone.
The amount of fat is too much to neglect for the best result. Some cheeses may contain low fat, such as cottage cheese, which provides a lesser value for the keto diet.
Therefore, I represented the data below in a combination of fat-carb ratio.
In addition, I have also included many other popular cheeses for your reference!
What Cheese is Suitable for Keto?
The table below shows 25 types of cheeses and their important nutritional values obtained from the USDA database.
The higher fat-to-carb or fat/carb ratio means the cheese has higher fat with lower carbohydrate. The higher the number, the better for the keto diet.
| Cheese (100g of serving) | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Carbohydrate (g) | Fat to Carb ratio |
| Feta | 14.2 | 21.5 | 3.9 | 5.5 |
| Parmesan | 35.8 | 25.0 | 3.2 | 7.8 |
| Parmigiano Reggiano | 32.1 | 28.6 | 0 | – |
| Gorgonzola | 21.4 | 32.1 | 3.57 | 9.0 |
| Mozzarella | 17.9 | 21.4 | 0 | – |
| Mozzarella Sticks | 13.5 | 21.6 | 24.3 | 0.9 |
| Cream Cheese | 6.15 | 34.4 | 5.5 | 6.3 |
| Cheddar | 25.0 | 32.1 | 3.6 | 8.9 |
| Ricotta | 7.5 | 10.2 | 7.3 | 1.4 |
| Cottage Cheese | 10.6 | 1.3 | 5.3 | 0.2 |
| Brie | 20.8 | 27.7 | 0.5 | 55.4 |
| Goat Cheese | 30.5 | 35.6 | 2.2 | 16.2 |
| Paneer | 21.4 | 25.0 | 3.6 | 6.9 |
| Gouda | 24.9 | 27.4 | 2.2 | 12.5 |
| Swiss Cheese | 27.0 | 31.0 | 1.4 | 22.1 |
| American Cheese | 21.4 | 32.1 | 3.6 | 8.9 |
| Asiago Cheese | 21.4 | 28.6 | 3.6 | 7.9 |
| Provolone | 25.6 | 26.6 | 2.1 | 12.7 |
| Montery Jack | 25.0 | 32.1 | 3.6 | 8.9 |
| Fontina | 25.6 | 31.1 | 1.6 | 19.4 |
| Halloumi | 20.0 | 24.0 | 0 | – |
| Havarti | 21.4 | 32.1 | 3.6 | 8.9 |
| Pecorino Remano | 28.6 | 32.1 | 0 | – |
| Camembert | 19.8 | 24.3 | 0.5 | 48.6 |
| Emmental cheese | 29.4 | 29.4 | 0 | – |
Most of the cheese has an ideal fat-to-carbohydrate ratio for keto. But there are a few exceptions too, such as cottage cheese and mozzarella sticks. They’ve both got a ratio below 1, which shows that their carbs are relatively higher.
Notably, several cheeses have none or (-) data. Some cheese brands may contain a very low to insignificant amount of carbohydrates.
Generally, if the ratio is above 5.0, they are good for the keto diet.
Some processed cheeses may contain other ingredients added during the making, such as the breadcrumbs in the mozzarella sticks. The added ingredients will raise the carbohydrate drastically, so it should not be included in your keto diet.
A good way is to always check the label to make sure it contains as few ingredients as possible. Cheese making is so simple that you’ll only require milk, salt, cultures, and rennet (or enzyme).
Sum up
Is gorgonzola a keto-friendly blue cheese? Absolutely.
Many cheeses listed above are great for the keto diet too. You shouldn’t have a problem eating them in moderation.
