Feta Cheese Nutrition

Feta cheese nutrition

1 inch cube cheese (cheddar) contains:

112 cal;
7 gm protein (complete);
9.1 gm fat;
.6 gm carbohydrate;
211 mg calcium;
134 mg phosphorus;
.3 mg iron;
197 mg sodium;
23 mg potassium;
370 units A;
.008 mg B-1;
.13 mg B-2;
.028 mg niacin;
5 gm saturated fatty acids;
.28 gm linoleic acid;
28 gm cholesterol;
12.7 mg magnesium;
vitamins B-12 and D.

Cheese is made from the milk of various mammals most often from cow’s, but also from goat’s (feta, Gjetost, fromage de chevre), ewe’s (Roquefort, Fontina d’Aosta), and water buffalo’s (true mozzarella) and as such provides many of the nutritional elements found in milk, with the possible exception of calcium. Cheese  is a convenient and versatile source of a good amount of complete protein, with the yellow types some what superior to white cheeses in the amount supplied. This protein is necessary for growth, for good muscle and skin tone, for production of energy and burning of fat, mild for the normal functioning of many bodily processes. Cheeses are also reliable sources of phosphorus, needed for strong bones and teeth; of vitamin A, an aid to healthy skin and good eyesight; and of vitamin B-12, which is vital to the nervous system and can help against muscular stiff ness and pain, menstrual disturbances, and pernicious anemia. Most cheeses made with whole milk or with cream provide a high proportion of fats 20 to 30 percent or more with a relatively large portion of this in the form of saturated fats, and they also provide a significant amount of cholesterol; these factors make this type of cheese less desirable for those with high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels. The wide variety of cheeses fall into several categories, all of which have some nutritional significance. There are whole milk cheeses, mentioned above, which include most types of commercial cheeses (cheddar, gouda, Camembert, cream cheese, Limburger, ricotta, Muenster, mozzarella, Emmenthaler or Swiss, Gruyere), skim milk cheeses (cottage  and pot cheeses), and cheeses made from partly skim milk (Edam, Neufchatel, farmer’s cheese, and many lower fat variations on whole milk cheeses). Labels usually indicate whether the cheese is made from whole or from partly skim milk. Cheeses may also be categorized as ripened and unripened; ripened cheeses are those which must be aged before being eaten, while unripened cheeses are perishable and can usually be stored after purchase only about a week unless some form of artificial preservative has been added. Within these unripened and ripened categories, cheeses may be divided into soft, semi hard and hard. The soft cheeses include both unripened (cottage, pot, farmer’s, baker’s, ricotta, feta, cream cheese) and ripened (Brie, Camembert, Limburger, Liederkranz) these soft cheeses provide a good proportion of water soluble vitamins, especially B vitamins, but provide little calcium. Semi hard cheeses (bleu, brick, Fontina, Gorgonzola, Gouda, Jack Muenster, Port dusalut, Stilton) are often ripened about 60 to 90 days, during which time they lose much water and water soluble vitamins, but they do not lose as much calcium during production as do soft cheeses. Hard cheeses are made from raw milk, as are  semi hard cheeses, and they provide the best calcium and protein of all cheeses. They are aged for varying amounts of time, depending on the type of cheese: two or three months (Appitost, Kuminnost); three months to a year (cheddar, Edam, Emmenthaler, or Swiss, Gjetost, gruyere, provolone, sapsago); or a year to 16 months (cheshire, Parmesan, Romano). Process cheeses, made from a combination of several types of the above natural cheeses mixed with emulsifiers, then heated and air cooled, have lost much of their nutritional value and flavor, and contain a lot of additives. Process cheeses include some types of American, domestic Swiss, and pimiento cheeses and many cheese spreads. In all cases, before buying a cheese, read the label to find out what you’re getting in the way of food value.