Say Cheese!

Say yes to cheese and indulge in its smoothness and taste. Rich in flavor, nutritious and healthy, cheese is one of the widely used ingredients in dishes. Cheese is a concentrated source of many nutrients found in the milk from which it’s made. 

Cheese and its benefits

• High-quality food: Cheese contains a high concentration of essential nutrients, in particular high quality protein and calcium as well as others such as phosphorous, zinc, vitamin A, riboflavin, and vitamin B12.
• Cavity fighter: Consuming certain varieties of cheese - aged Cheddar, Swiss, Blue, Monterey Jack, Brie, Gouda and processed American cheese immediately after meals or as a between-a-meal snack has proven to help prevent tooth decay. Calcium, phosphorous and other components in cheese may contribute to this beneficial effect. Milk proteins also help as it neutralizes plaque acids with their buffering capacity.
• Weight control: Include cheese in a fat-reduced diet by replacing high-fat cheese with low-fat alternatives.
• Solution for lactose intolerance: Many varieties of cheese, in particular aged cheese like Cheddar and Swiss, contain little or no lactose. For this reason, cheese is an important source of calcium and other nutrients that are found in milk for lactose intolerant people.
• Osteoporosis prevention: With emphasis placed on calcium and its role in the prevention of osteoporosis, eating cheese is an excellent way to boost the calcium content of prepared foods.

Is cheese a good source of Calcium?

The high nutritional value of Cheese makes it an important dairy food to include as part of a healthy diet. Rich in Calcium, it helps meet the recommended 3 servings of milk and dairy products a day and plays a major role in helping build strong and healthy bones.
Bear in mind that cheese is a high calorie food because of its high fat content. So try to opt for low-fat and calorie choices.

Here’s a Comparison Table of a variety of Cheese and their Calcium and Calorie content

Cheese	Type	Serving size (30 grams = 2 slices)	Calcium Content (mg)	Calorie Content
Cheddar	Natural	30 g	150	114
Gruyere / Emmental Cheese	Full-fat	30 g	150	117
Labneh	Full-fat	2 tbsp	60	60
Feta cheese	White	30 g (4 cubes)	83	75
Akkawi cheese	White	30 g	130 - 150	60
Halloumi cheese	White	30 g	130 - 150	65
Kashkaval cheese	Yellow	30 g	200 - 220	100
Mozzarella cheese	Part-skim	30 g	205	80
Mozzarella cheese	Whole	30 g	160	98
Parmesan cheese	Grated	2 tbsp	140	45
Swiss cheese	Natural	30 g	270	105
Swiss cheese	Reduced fat	30 g	350	90

*Daily recommendation of Calcium=1000mg (19-50 years)

Good to Remember

Go for white cheese more than yellow as it’s lower in fat and therefore lower in calories as well.