Calorie Content of Cheese
Milk is about the most nutrient rich of foods which you can find. And cheese is essentially a concentrated form of milk, being one of the most effective ways of preserving milk. Therefore, cheese is a solid form of milk, and should be viewed as such.
The process of making cheese is two-fold. The first is clotting the milk to form a curd. Milk is solidified by adding rennet (an enzyme) or some selected bacteria which acidify the milk. The milk curd itself is made up mostly of casein and calcium.
The second part of the cheese making process is ripening the curd. The curd is left to bacteria and mould to give it the texture and flavor which we all know. This differs from one cheese type to another.
Types of cheese
There are hundreds of types of cheese, but basically, there are 6 types of cheese:
- Soft cheese – Camembert and mozzarella
- Semi soft cheese – Blue cheese
- Hard cheese – Cheddar and Swiss cheese
- Semi hard cheese – Samsoe and Edam cheese
- Fresh cheese – Unripened cheese packed immediately after draining the curd
- Processed cheese – Blend of various Cheddars which are shredded and then mixed together
What you get from a typical slice of cheese
Cheese is a great replacement for meat, and if you want a light snack at any time, than a 35g wedge of cheese supplies you the same amount of nutrients as a 300ml carton of milk. The casein of cheese contains all the essential amino acids, and cheese contains a high amount of vitamin A and D, as well as calcium.
The downside of cheese is the high salt content, which is essential to cheese making, and some kinds of cheese have relatively high fat. Cheddar cheese, which is one of the most popular types of cheese in the world, has a high fat content of 30%.
If you are watching your weight, than cheese is not something to go overboard with, as cheese is pretty heavy in calorie content. A 35g wedge of Cheddar cheese has 140 calories, while a 100g wedge will add 400 calories to your daily calorie intake.
So, as you can see, although cheese is a useful and nutritious snack for busy lifestyles, eating more than a few slices of cheese will contribute dramatically to your total calorie intake. Most cheese types have a high fat to weight ratio, and It’s best to keep that in mind, and consume them in moderation.