Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms. Cheese consists of proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. Some cheeses have molds on the rind or throughout. Most cheeses melt at cooking temperature. Cheese is valued for its portability, long life, and high content of fat, protein, calcium, and phosphorus.
A 30-gram (1.1 oz) serving of Cheddar cheese contains about 7 grams (0.25 oz) of protein and 200 milligrams of calcium. Nutritionally, cheese is essentially concentrated milk: 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.
Cheese potentially shares other nutritional properties of milk. The Center for Science in the Public Interest describes cheese as America’s number one source of saturated fat, adding that the average American ate 30 lb (14 kg) of cheese in the year 2000, up from 11 lb (5 kg) in 1970. Their recommendation is to limit full-fat cheese consumption to 2 oz (57 g) a week. Whether cheese’s highly saturated fat actually leads to an increased risk of heart disease is called into question when considering France and Greece, which lead the world in cheese eating (more than 14 oz/400 g a week per person, or over 45 lb/20 kg a year) yet have relatively low rates of heart disease. This seeming discrepancy is called the French paradox; the higher rates of consumption of red wine in these countries is often invoked as at least a partial explanation. Some studies claim that cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss and American cheeses can help to prevent tooth decay.
Cheese Calories
Cheddar types of cheese are the most popular varieties and includes tasty, matured, semi matured and the sliced varieties. The number of calories in cheese depend upon the type of cheese.
Type of Cheese | Amount | Calories | Fat |
Cheddar Cheese | Thin Slice 20g | 80 calories | 7 |
Cheddar | 100g | 400 calories | 34 |
Cheddar | 250g block | 1000 calories | 84 |
Brie | 30g | 90 calories | 9 |
Camembert | 30g | 90 calories | 7.5 |
Danish Blue | 30g | 100 calories | 8.5 |
Edam | 30g | 100 calories | 7.5 |
Feta | 30g | 90 calories | 7.5 |
Gorgonzola | 30g | 110 calories | 9 |
Gouda | 30g | 110 calories | 9 |
Mozzarella Cheese | 1/2 cup | 275 calories | 22 |
Parmesan | 30g (4 tbls grated) | 130 calories | 9 |
Provelone | 30g | 110 calories | 9 |
Roquefort | 30g | 100 calories | 8 |
Swiss Cheese | 30g | 110 calories | 9 |
Cottage Cheese (Paneer) | 40g (2 tbls) | 45 calories | 2 |
Riccota | 40g (2 tbls) | 70 calories | 2 |
Philadelphia | 40g (2 tbls) | 130 calories | 13 |
Cheese Consumption
Cheese is consumed in large quantities in Europe and America. It is a significant source of energy (calories) and fats in diet, therefore it is important to monitor the cheese calories and fats consumed by a person trying to lose weight.
Greece is the world’s largest (per capita) consumer of cheese, with 27.3 kg eaten by the average Greek. (Feta accounts for three-quarters of this consumption.) France is the second biggest consumer of cheese, with 24 kg by inhabitant. Emmental (used mainly as a cooking ingredient) and Camembert are the most common cheeses in France Italy is the third biggest consumer by person with 22.9 kg. In the U.S., the consumption of cheese is quickly increasing and has nearly tripled between 1970 and 2003. The consumption per person has reached, in 2003, 14.1 kg (31 lb). Mozzarella is America’s favorite cheese and accounts for nearly a third of its consumption, mainly because it is one of the main ingredients of pizza.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest describes cheese as America’s number one source of saturated fat, adding that the average American ate 30 lb (14 kg) of cheese in the year 2000, up from 11 lb (5 kg) in 1970.Their recommendation is to limit full-fat cheese consumption to 2 oz (57 g) a week. That would equate to about 240 cheese calories!
We hope this information about calories in cheese will help you plan your weight loss diet. When you are trying to lose weight, every calorie counts and considering the large consumption of cheese in western world, counting cheese calories makes all the more sense!