Is Laughing Cow Cheese Bad For You?
Short answer
Laughing Cow isn't bad for you in moderation - but other than its high amount of calcium - it isn't good for you either. After a few wedges, the benefit of calcium will not be greater than the risk of large amounts of saturated fats and sodium.
Recommended Alternative
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
I love Laughing Cow's spreadable cheese wedges. Personally, my favorites are the garlic herb and Swiss original. If you are anything like me when it comes to these delicious snacks, you don't stop at just one wedge. After all, it's healthy - right? Well, as it turns out, not so much. Let's take a look at the nutritional value for one wedge of original creamy Swiss as given by Laughing Cow's website.
There are 50 calories, 4 grams of total fat (2.5 grams of saturated fat or 13% the daily recommended intake), 10 mg of cholesterol (3% of the RDI), 190 mg of sodium (8% of the RDI), 2 grams of protein (4% of the RDI), and 8% of the RDI of calcium. The good news is that there is only one gram of sugar per wedge. Unfortunately, there is no dietary fiber, nor are there any vitamins or minerals, except for calcium and perhaps some trace amounts of phosphorous.
In other words, there's a ton of saturated fat and sodium in each circular package with very little in the way of nutrition. The ingredients do not contain many of the additives found in other processed foods, but there is citric acid, which can lead to a sore throat and abdominal pain - and of course erode tooth enamel over a prolonged period of time. Sodium citrate, a citric acid salt, is also found in the ingredients. Also of concern is whey, which means people who are lactose or whey intolerant should not eat Laughing Cow.
As much as I'd like it not to be true, the fact is that Laughing Cow is not good for your health. Its only redeeming qualities are that it has a good amount of calcium, which is especially important for healthy bones, and it packs a fair amount of protein. Otherwise, it's little more than a salty snack of fat and cholesterol. Still, it won't hurt to have just one wedge every now and then. Eating the full container daily...that could be problematic.
Possible short-term side effects
Possible long-term side effects
- weight gain, obesity
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cardiovascular disease
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cancer
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increased cholesterol
Ingredients to be aware of
Benefits
- may help prevent bone diseases
-
may help strengthen bones
-
decent source of protein
Healthier alternatives
Our Wellness Pick
(what is this?)
Organic Coconut Cream
- Rich in flavor
- USDA Organic
- Non-dairy alternative
- Gluten-free
- Versatile ingredient
Learn More!
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Thank you for your feedback!
Written by Jeff Volling
Published on: 01-03-2016
Last updated: 12-15-2023
Thank you for your feedback!
Written by Jeff Volling
Published on: 01-03-2016
Last updated: 12-15-2023
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