That's a bit cheesy

Why a cheese board can be your nutrient-packed best friend for entertaining this Summer.

With the holiday season just around the corner, most of us prepare to indulge. Be it Christmas lunch with the family or a festive barbeque with friends, summer is a time associated with whimsical bliss, and often overindulging. But what if things were different this year? To help you feel your best, Dr Preeya Alexander – mother, TV host, and trusted GP – has shared her top tips for a balanced diet this summer, and it all starts with a cheese board.

Maintaining a balanced diet through every season is key for Preeya, her family, and her patients. As an advocate for all food groups, Preeya believes no food group should be cast out, and that dairy is often one of the food groups many look to unnecessarily restrict.

Getting clear on common dairy misconceptions

People assume any fat in the diet is bad, however, fat is an essential part of a balanced diet. It’s key to think about limiting harmful fats in our diet, like saturated fats, and getting the right amount of good ones. Sometimes people think that cutting any fat out is the answer to limiting saturated fats, however, that’s not the case and there is evidence that dairy foods like cheese and yoghurt do not raise cholesterol (in particular LDL) in the same manner that butter can.

Regular consumption of dairy as per the Australian Dietary Guidelines, leads to stronger bones and muscles throughout every life stage and a reduced risk of type two diabetes. It also provides us with a great source of key nutrients– such as zinc, vitamin A and potassium – in addition to calcium (which everyone tends to know about!). Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend that most people need 2-3 serves of dairy per day. A serve is considered to be 1 cup of milk, ¾ cup of yoghurt or 2 slices of cheese (40 grams), so it’s really important to think about your diet and where you can add some delicious dairy in! So how exactly can a cheese board be your best friend for summer entertaining? Now that we know cheese plays an important role in a healthy, balanced diet, a cheeseboard doesn’t have to be a ‘treat’. In fact, it is a great low-fuss option that can be easily put together whilst you entertain over the summer season. Aside from plenty of delicious dairy, a cheese board is an ideal way to incorporate other food groups into your entertaining plates, ensuring both you and your guests are getting plenty of goodness in! When you’re building your cheese board, try to reduce discretionary foods and keep your platter balanced. Pairing cheese with fruit such as pear, apples, and grapes or veggie sticks like carrot, celery, or capsicum, as well as pickled vegetables, is a perfect place to start. Having all those veggies on the plate gets you closer to the 5 recommended serves per day and the cheese gets you closer to the 2-3 serves too!

You could also include a dip like hummus (thank goodness chickpeas count in your vegetable intake!) that will bump up vegetable intake and is very easy to whip up at home, or a yoghurt-based dip to incorporate more dairy and ensure you’re meeting those daily serves. My favourite yoghurt-based dip is tzatziki because it is also packed with cucumber for an additional veggie hit. Finally, I always opt for a wholegrain cracker for some extra fibre!

How cheese boards can work for the whole family

It’s important to think who will be at your summer gettogethers, and cheeseboards can be just as exciting (and healthy) for kids, as they are for adults.

When I’m putting together a cheese board for my little ones, I pick simple cheese options that I know they love and always try to pair it with rainbows. Incorporating healthy colourful ‘rainbow’ foods is a great way to entice the kids to enjoy the nutritional benefits a cheese board brings, knowing they look appealing, and each come with their own health benefits.

If the kids too can sit around the summer table and tuck into some cheese on celery sticks, they’re getting both a serve of veggies and some much-needed dairy to nourish their growing bones. If I whip up a tzatziki with cucumber in it, that they’re enjoying on a wholegrain cracker, I know they’re getting a triple threat of dairy, veggies, and wholegrains – it’s win win!