the Cheese Shop

The Cheese Shop

Year after year, our well-appointed cheese counters have prompted Clevelanders to name Heinen’s an award winning gourmet cheese shop. We’re proud of our selection and are always searching for the latest cheeses to join our favorites.

We carry over 250 varieties from around the world, including one-of-a-kind artisan and farmstead cheeses. For serving tips, as well as wine and beer pairings, meet with our cheese specialists. They love to talk cheese!

Yes, Cheese Can Be Good For You!

Well I’m here to tell you that, despite what diet gurus constantly pound into our brains, cheese does actually have some health benefits, and can be good for. That is, of course, when it’s enjoyed in moderation. Just like everything else.

Take, for example, Parmigiano-Reggiano. Did you know that runners in Italy eat 1-ounce sticks of Reggiano on their race courses for a boost of healthy protein to finish their run?

Cheese is one of nature’s most perfect foods, made entirely of wholesome ingredients: milk, salt, culture, enzymes. Cheese provides you with just about everything you need to maintain a healthy diet, such as vitamins, minerals, proteins and fatty acids. Yes, there are calories, but they’re good calories that are supplemented by all those lovely aforementioned nutrients. The only diet essentials that cheese is lacking are Vitamin C and fiber.

Introducing a mixed bag of cheeses into your diet can also contribute to overall good health. For example, I mentioned above the protein value of eating a hard-aged cheese like Parmigiano-Reggiano, but eating softer cheeses like brie can provide you with essential fatty acids, such as omega-3 and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). The latter has actually been proven to help speed up metabolic rate as well as improve insulin levels in diabetics.

Bottom line, in moderation, cheese should never be totally eliminated from one’s diet. Not only is cheese good to eat but it’s also good for your body!