Cheese contains important nutrients like calcium, protein, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin
A and vitamin B12. For a complete listing of the nutrients in cheese, consult the
table below.
Calcium is one of the nutrients most likely to be lacking in the American diet.
According to government statistics nine out of 10 women and seven out of 10 men
fall short of calcium recommendations. The high-quality protein in cheese provides
your body with essential building blocks for strong muscles.
Cheese is a delicious and nutritious food that is also very versatile. You can add
it to other dishes or eat it by itself. It’s convenient and portable. There are
more than 300 varieties of cheese —including, American, Cheddar, Mozzarella and
Colby—many are available in various flavors, forms (chunks, slices, cubes, shredded,
grated, crumbled, sticks, spreads) and packaging to meet consumers' needs.
Concerned about calories? Choose harder cheeses you can grate and sprinkle over
your dishes or aromatic and sharp cheeses so that you can get the delicious cheese
flavor with fewer calories. Many reduced-fat varieties of cheeses are also available.
Health Benefits of Cheese
Cheese is a calcium-rich food that may help reduce the risk for osteoporosis—a disease
in which bones become fragile and are more likely to break.
In addition, cheese, in moderation, is included in the DASH (Dietary Approaches
to Stop Hypertension) diet designed to reduce the risk of high blood pressure. This
diet, which includes three servings daily of low-fat and fat-free milk, yogurt and
cheese, and eight to ten servings daily of fruits and vegetables, has also been
shown to reduce other risk factors for heart disease.
If you are lactose intolerant, many cheeses, particularly aged cheeses such as Cheddar
and Swiss, contain little or no lactose and are often well tolerated.
One serving of cheese is one and one-half ounce for hard cheeses, two ounce for
processed cheeses. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that individuals
ages nine and older consume at least three servings of milk, cheese or yogurt each
day.
|
Cheese (1 oz) |
American |
Cheddar |
Mozzarella |
Parmesan, 1 T. |
Swiss |
|
Calories |
106 |
114 |
80 |
23 |
107 |
|
Protein (g) |
6.3 |
7.1 |
5.5 |
2.1 |
8.1 |
|
Carbohydrate (g) |
0.5 |
0.4 |
0.6 |
0.2 |
1 |
|
Fat (g) |
8.9 |
9.4 |
6.1 |
1.5 |
7.8 |
|
Saturated Fat (g) |
5.6 |
6 |
3.7 |
1 |
5 |
|
Cholesterol (mg) |
27 |
30 |
22 |
4 |
26 |
|
Sodium (mg) |
406 |
176 |
106 |
93 |
74 |
|
Vit A (RE) |
82 |
86 |
68 |
9 |
72 |
|
Vit A % RDA |
8 |
9 |
7 |
1 |
7 |
|
Vit C (mg) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Vit C % RDA |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Folate (mcg) |
2 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Folate % RDA |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Calcium (mg) |
124 |
204 |
147 |
69 |
272 |
|
Calcium % RDA |
9 |
16 |
11 |
5 |
21 |
|
Magnesium (mg) |
6 |
8 |
5 |
3 |
10 |
|
Magnesium % RDA |
1 |
2 |
1 |
- |
2 |
|
Zinc (mg) |
0.85 |
0.88 |
0.63 |
0.16 |
1.11 |
|
Zinc % RDA |
6 |
6 |
4 |
1 |
7 |
|
Phosphorus (mg) |
211 |
145 |
105 |
40 |
171 |
|
Phosphorus % RDA |
16 |
11 |
8 |
3 |
14 |
|
Iron (mg) |
0.11 |
0.19 |
0.05 |
0.05 |
0.05 |
|
padding-left:12px % RDA |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Vitamin B 12 (mcg) |
NA |
0.24 |
0.23 |
0.11 |
0.95 |
|
Vitamin B 12 (%DV) |
NA |
10% |
10% |
5& |
4% |