Which cheese?

Not all cheeses have the same nutritional value, and while cheese is rich in calcium, it may be equally rich in fat and sodium.

Cheese: nutritional values

Cheese is usually made from cow's, goat's, or sheep's milk. The milk is heated with the enzyme renin (rennet) to separate the curds, which are collected and pressed, then salted and left to ripen or mature - this develops the flavour and texture of the cheese. The longer a cheese is ripened, the harder the texture and the stronger the flavour.

Since cheese is made from milk, they are similar in nutritive value. However, many cheeses are high in sodium and fat. Cheeses that are made from lower fat milk are not always low in fat because extra cream may be added. The more water a cheese contains, the lower its percentage of fat will be. The calorie, fat, and calcium content of some popular cheeses are shown here.

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Cheese: nutritional values

Cheddar (28g/1oz) - Calories: 116
Total fat	Saturated fat	Calcium
9.2g	6.1g	207mg
Roquefort (28g/1oz) - Calories: 105
Total fat	Saturated fat	Calcium
9.2g	5.9g	148mg
Parmesan (28g/1oz) - Calories: 111
Total fat	Saturated fat	Calcium
7.3g	4.7g	287mg
Brie (28g/1oz) - Calories: 96
Total fat	Saturated fat	Calcium
7.5g	5.1g	72mg
Goat's (soft) (28g/1oz) - Calories: 90
Total fat	Saturated fat	Calcium
7.2g	5.0g	37mg
Camembert (28g/1oz) - Calories: 81
Total fat	Saturated fat	Calcium
6.4g	4.0g	66mg
Mozzarella (28g/1oz) - Calories: 80
Total fat	Saturated fat	Calcium
6.1g	3.7g	101mg
Feta (28g/1oz) - Calories: 70
Total fat	Saturated fat	Calcium
5.7g	3.8g	101mg
Ricotta (28g/1oz) - Calories: 40
Total fat	Saturated fat	Calcium
3.1g	1.9g	67mg