Nutrition and health
The nutritional value of cheese varies widely. Cottage cheese may consist of 4% fat and 11% protein while some whey cheeses are 15% fat and 11% protein, and triple-crème cheeses are 36% fat and 7% protein. In general, cheese is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of calcium, protein, phosphorus, sodium and saturated fat. A 28-gram (one ounce) serving of cheddar cheese contains about 7 grams (0.25 oz) of protein and 202 milligrams of calcium. Nutritionally, cheese is essentially concentrated milk, but altered by the culturing and aging processes: it takes about 200 grams (7.1 oz) of milk to provide that much protein, and 150 grams (5.3 oz) to equal the calcium, though values for water-soluble vitamins and minerals can vary widely.
Vitamin content of common cheeses, DV% per 100 g
|
|
A
|
B1
|
B2
|
B3
|
B5
|
B6
|
B9
|
B12
|
C
|
D
|
E
|
K
|
| Swiss
|
17
|
4
|
17
|
0
|
4
|
4
|
1
|
56
|
0
|
11
|
2
|
3
|
| Feta
|
8
|
10
|
50
|
5
|
10
|
21
|
8
|
28
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
| Cheddar
|
20
|
2
|
22
|
0
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
14
|
0
|
3
|
1
|
3
|
| Mozzarella
|
14
|
2
|
17
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
38
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
| Cottage
|
3
|
2
|
10
|
0
|
6
|
2
|
3
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Mineral content of common cheeses, DV% per 100 g
|
|
Cl
|
Ca
|
Fe
|
Mg
|
P
|
K
|
Na
|
Zn
|
Cu
|
Mn
|
Se
|
| Swiss
|
2.8
|
79
|
10
|
1
|
57
|
2
|
8
|
29
|
2
|
0
|
26
|
| Feta
|
2.2
|
49
|
4
|
5
|
34
|
2
|
46
|
19
|
2
|
1
|
21
|
| Cheddar
|
3
|
72
|
4
|
7
|
51
|
3
|
26
|
21
|
2
|
1
|
20
|
| Mozzarella
|
2.8
|
51
|
2
|
5
|
35
|
2
|
26
|
19
|
1
|
1
|
24
|
| Cottage
|
3.3
|
8
|
0
|
2
|
16
|
3
|
15
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
14
|
Nutrient data from SELF.com. Abbreviations:
Cl = Choline;
Ca = Calcium;
Fe = Iron;
Mg = Magnesium;
P = Phosphorus;
K = Potassium;
Na = Sodium;
Zn = Zinc;
Cu = Copper;
Mn = Manganese;
Se = Selenium.