Low fat cheese in Australia: is it healthier than regular?

Low fat cheese is a good choice if your LDL cholesterol is high or you have heart disease, but for most people regular cheese in normal portions is fine. On Australian labels "low fat" means 3 g of fat or less per 100 g, which mainly cottage cheese meets. Most "light" cheeses are reduced fat, meaning 25% less.

The Heart Foundation's advice turns on one number: your LDL cholesterol. Answer three questions to see which cheeses suit you.

What does "low fat" mean on Australian cheese?

"Low fat" is a legal claim. Under Schedule 4 of the Food Standards Code, a solid food can only say "low fat" if it contains no more than 3 g of fat per 100 g, and "% fat free" claims (such as 97% fat free) must meet the same rule. "Reduced fat" and "light" or "lite" mean the cheese has at least 25% less fat than the regular product it is compared with.

That gap matters in the supermarket. A reduced fat cheddar still has around 15 to 23 g of fat per 100 g, five to eight times the low fat limit. Diabetes Australia also points out that "light" can describe taste, colour or texture, so check the fat per 100 g on the nutrition panel rather than the word on the front.

Low fat vs regular cheese: the numbers

Reduced fat cheese has less fat and fewer kilojoules, and the protein and calcium stay the same or go up because there is less fat diluting them. The salt barely changes.

Here is what reduced fat versions look like on the shelf. We read these from the product listings on 27 October 2026.

Three things stand out. Bega So Light has less than half the fat of regular cheddar and more protein per 100 g. The reduced fat feta is still as salty as regular feta. And ricotta light halves the fat of regular ricotta, which was already one of the leanest cheeses on the list. For brand-by-brand comparisons, see our reviews of feta in Australia and tasty vs cheddar cheese.

Is low fat cheese good for you?

Low fat cheese is good for you if you need to lower your LDL cholesterol. For everyone else, the evidence for choosing it over regular cheese is weak.

The Heart Foundation changed its dairy advice in 2019. Its position statement says unflavoured milk, yoghurt and cheese can be part of a heart-healthy eating pattern regardless of fat content, as long as most of your fat comes from fish, olives, nuts, seeds and their oils. The exception is people with high LDL cholesterol or heart disease, for whom reduced fat, unflavoured dairy is the preferred choice. The same statement notes that studies on cheese and heart disease are mixed, and that the fat in cheese appears to raise LDL less than the fat in butter.

Butter, cream and ice cream are a different story. The Heart Foundation says the evidence for milk, yoghurt and cheese does not extend to them.

“Cholesterol levels tell you a lot about your metabolism and your liver: understanding what is optimal as opposed to what requires medication helps with motivation and lifestyle change.”
Dr Michelle Woolhouse, Vively Medical Director

Cholesterol rises with age, especially for women after 50

Whether low fat cheese is worth it for you depends on a number most people do not know. In Vively members, the share with LDL above 3.5 mmol/L climbs through midlife, and women catch up with men after menopause.

If your cholesterol is in range and stays there, enjoy your cheese. If it is climbing, cheese is one of several easy swaps, alongside butter and processed meat, and a LDL cholesterol test tells you which group you are in. Our post on cholesterol after menopause explains why the change happens.

Does cheese raise blood sugar?

No. Cheese has almost no carbohydrate, so neither regular nor low fat cheese raises glucose in a meaningful way. Vively members' CGM data shows it: when members logged cheese on its own, the typical rise over the next two hours matched what we see after a glass of water.

Cheese can still help your glucose indirectly. A little cheese with fruit, crackers or toast adds protein and fat, which slows how quickly the carbohydrate is absorbed. What raises glucose is the bread, crackers or pasta it comes with, which is where a continuous glucose monitor is more useful than any rule.

How to choose and use low fat cheese

• Read fat per 100 g, not the front label: under 3 g is low fat; reduced fat cheddars sit around 15 to 23 g.
• Check saturated fat if your LDL is high: it is the part of cheese fat that matters most for cholesterol.
• Check sodium too: feta, haloumi and processed slices carry 1,100 mg or more per 100 g, light or not.
• Use strong cheese for flavour: a little grated parmesan or vintage cheddar goes further than a lot of mild light cheese.
• Use ricotta and cottage cheese as everyday cheeses: on toast with tomato, in pasta sauces, or with fruit as a snack.
• Watch portions: the Australian Dietary Guidelines count 40 g of hard cheese, about two slices, as one serve.

Low fat cheese is also a handy protein source: Bega So Light has 34 g of protein per 100 g and cottage cheese 17 g. For more options, see our list of high-protein foods in Australia.

“Cholesterol levels are one of over 20 Cardiovascular disease risk factors. Lower the number of risk factors, lowers your CV risk, understanding your levels and treatment options can change the game.”
Dr Michelle Woolhouse, Vively Medical Director

How Vively can help

The cheese question depends on your cholesterol, so start there. The Vively Baseline blood test covers 70+ markers, including LDL, HDL, triglycerides, fasting insulin and HbA1c, read against optimal ranges. A practitioner explains your results and what to change, your membership includes a targeted re-test after 3 months so you can see whether the swaps worked, and you can get your blood taken at 3,700+ partner collection centres. For a closer look at heart risk beyond LDL, see our guide to ApoB and lipoprotein(a).

Frequently asked questions

Is light cheese healthy?

Yes, light cheese is a healthy choice, and it is the better one if your LDL cholesterol is high or you have heart disease. "Light" usually means at least 25% less fat than the regular version, with the same or more protein and calcium. It is not low fat, though: most light cheddars still have 15 to 23 g of fat per 100 g.

What is the lowest fat cheese in Australia?

Cottage cheese is the lowest fat cheese on Australian shelves, and versions labelled 97% fat free meet the legal "low fat" limit of 3 g per 100 g. Ricotta light comes next at around 5 g per 100 g. Hard cheeses, even reduced fat ones, sit far higher, with reduced fat cheddars around 15 to 23 g per 100 g.

Is low fat cheese better for weight loss?

It can help a little because it has fewer kilojoules: about 1,150 to 1,360 kJ per 100 g for reduced fat cheddar against about 1,690 kJ for regular. The bigger factors are portion size and what you eat the cheese with. A strong cheese used sparingly can work as well as a mild light cheese used generously.

Does low fat cheese have less calcium?

No. Reduced fat cheese has the same or slightly more calcium than regular cheese, because removing fat concentrates the protein and minerals. In the Australian Food Composition Database, reduced fat cheddar has 800 mg of calcium per 100 g against 760 mg for regular cheddar.

Is low fat cottage cheese good for you?

Yes. Cottage cheese is high in protein, low in fat and lower in salt than most cheeses, at about 277 mg of sodium per 100 g on average. It is low in calcium for a cheese, so it does not replace milk, yoghurt or hard cheese as a calcium source. Use it on toast, in salads or with fruit.

Sources

1. Federal Register of Legislation. Food Standards Code, Schedule 4: Nutrition, health and related claims.
2. Heart Foundation. Dietary position statement: dairy and heart healthy eating. 2019.
3. Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Australian Food Composition Database, Release 3.
4. Diabetes Australia. Food claims: fact or fiction? 2022.