The Single Best Food for Athletes and Children — Parmesan Cheese

This ancient Italian cheese is an all-natural and lactose-free superfood ready to go.

Photo by Artizone.

Dubbed The King of Cheeses, rightly so, certified Parmigiano Reggiano is a boon not only for your palate, but for your body too.

By definition, real Parmigiano Reggiano is produced in a specific Italian area using only natural milk, as well as whey and rennet. The only additive, so to speak, is the Mediterranean salt contained in the brine bath in which the wheels are left to soak in for 20–25 days after the initial form and rind imprint have taken hold.

Its roots date back to at least the 1200s, proven by legal deeds found in Genova, as Benedictine and Cistercian monks were producing it. Known as Caseus Parmensis (i.e.: ‘the cheese from Parma’), the monks created it to produce a long-lasting cheese which, as everything that monks did, was of high quality also in nutritional values.

Stacked wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano. Photo by zalazaksunca.

NUTRITION

This cheese is highly suggested in the diet of just about anybody, really, but given the dietary needs it is definitely suggested…