Feta Cheese Nutrition
Feta cheese is a creamy cheese variant and is mostly used in Mediterranean and Greek delicacies. The benefits of feta cheese can be attributed to its high amount of vitamins and minerals.
Feta cheese is a perfect treat to satisfy your taste buds. It enhances the taste of your meal and contains high amounts of calcium, which is crucial for maintaining healthy bones. But is feta cheese healthy? Can it cause any health issues?
Scroll down to know more about the feta cheese nutrition facts, benefits, and healthy recipes.
Domestic Greek Feta Cheese, 4lb bucket.
Domestic Feta is more mild than imported Feta. Made in USA.
Feta cheese is a brined cheese. Traditional feta is made from goat’s and sheep’s milk, though some cheese makers particularly in the US, use cow’s milk.
What is Feta Cheese?
Feta cheese is a brined cheese. Traditional feta is made from goat’s and sheep’s milk, though some cheese makers particularly in the US, use cow’s milk. This does not give the same tangy and rich flavor. Feta is a white cheese that comes in a saltwater brine. It is soft and crumbly with a flavor that is salty, tangy, creamy and bright. Feta is key ingredient in spanakopita, also called spinach pie.
What does Feta Cheese Taste Like?
Salty
Salty is one of the five main tastes. It has a satisfying and addictive quality with hints of sourness. Salty foods include cheeses, cured meats, chips, and olives. It is used in almost every dish and prepared food. Salt is added to enhance flavor and offer a distinctly salty taste.
Sour
Sour is one of the five main tastes. It is tart and bright, sometimes with a mouth-puckering quality. Sour is a naturally occurring flavor found in many foods, including citrus, vinegar, various dairy products, and certain fruits. Sour is used to enhance a dish or drink and is used as both a main and complimentary flavor.
Umami
Umami is one of five main tastes. It is savory with a depth of flavor. Umami is a taste in many foods, including meat, seafood, beans, and nuts. It is both naturally occurring and created through the specific use of ingredients to create a satisfying taste. Umami is characteristic of proteins and savory dishes.
Origin Of Feta cheese
The origin of feta (meaning “slice”) cheese can be traced back to ancient Greece. Feta cheese finds a mention in the works of Aristotle, Pythagoras, and Homer’s Odyssey. The Greeks called it ’feta’ because they sliced the cheese before putting it into the barrel – a practice that Greeks still follow.
Traditionally, feta cheese is produced from sheep and goat milk. It is because most East-Mediterranean nations have:
- Modest and irregular rainfall
- Hot and dry summers
- Mountainous landscapes
This type of environment is not suited to meet the fodder requirements of dairy cattle, except sheep and goats. Hence, they prepared cheese from the milk of these two animals. The cheese was preserved and ripened under brine until consumption, as there was no way to refrigerate it, and transporting milk was difficult.
But, is feta cheese good for you? Let us find that out. Feta is a low-fat cheese and a good source of important nutrients. Scroll down to know more about its nutritional value.
Nutritional Profile Of Feta Cheese
A wedge of feta cheese (about 1 oz) contains.
| Calories | 101 kcal |
| Proteins | 5.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 1.47 g |
| Total lipids (Fat) | 8.17 g |
| Calcium | 187 mg |
| Sodium | 433 mg |
| Potassium | 23.6 mg |
| Phosphorus | 128 mg |
| Magnesium | 7.2 mg |
| Cholesterol | 33.8 mg |
, MS, RD, LDN, CNSC, says, “As cheeses go, feta is a fairly healthy option. It is packed with nutrients like calcium, sodium, phosphorus, and B vitamins. Feta is also low in saturated fat and calories than many other kinds of cheese.” The feta cheese nutrition facts show that it can be a healthy addition to your diet.
While there are many varieties to choose from, each offering their own cheese benefits, feta stands apart from the rest. Learn more about the many health benefits feta has to offer in the next section.
Health Benefits Of Feta Cheese
1. May Improve Bone Health
Feta cheese is a great source of calcium, a mineral that maintains the bones.
Researchers found that consuming cheese and milk improved bone mineral density in rats. They concluded that consuming cheese could be beneficial in preventing osteoporosis and the risk of age-related bone loss
2. May Promote Weight Loss
Feta cheese has a low fat content than other types of cheese. The calcium and fatty acid complexes in cheese may bind in the gut and prevent fat absorption. It also boosts fat breakdown and reduces fat storage in the cells.
The high protein content of feta cheese increases satiety, making it a good option for calorie-restricted diets. Also, dairy products (including feta cheese, which is made from goat milk) contain polyunsaturated fatty acids called conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs). Animal and human studies have shown that CLA reduces body weight and fat.
3. May Promote Gut Health
Lactobacillus co-starter culture, a probiotic, is used for manufacturing feta cheese. These gut-friendly bacteria support digestive functions, such as food breakdown, nutrient absorption, and fighting harmful bacteria to keep your gut healthy
4. Good Source Of Vitamins
Feta cheese contains vitamins B6 (5% daily value), and cobalamin (vitamin B12) (8% daily value). It also contains vitamin D that helps the body absorb calcium and strengthens the bones. Vitamin B6 facilitates metabolism, and cobalamin keeps the nervous system healthy.
How To Make Feta Cheese
What You Need
- 1 gallon of whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon of feta cheese culture
- ½ cup of water
- ½ teaspoon of calcium chloride
- ½ teaspoon of liquid rennet
For Brine
- 8 cups of water
- 5 tablespoons of salt
- 1 teaspoon of calcium chloride
- ¼ teaspoon of white vinegar
Method
- Mix one-fourth cup of water and half a teaspoon of calcium chloride in a bowl.
- In another bowl, mix one-fourth cup of water and liquid rennet.
- Heat milk in a double boiler over medium heat until it reaches 86℉.
- Add cheese culture to it and let it dissolve for a few minutes. Stir the mixture. Cover and let it boil for an hour on 86℉.
- Mix calcium chloride with milk and stir for a minute. Add the rennet mixture to it and stir again.
- Allow the milk to curdle at room temperature for an hour.
- Check the curd’s firmness with the back of a spoon.
- Slice the curd into 1-inch squares. Stir gently with a rubber spatula and rest it for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Maintain 86°F at all times and stir the curd until it sinks to the bottom of the pot.
- Turn off the heat. Scoop out the liquid (whey).
- Place the multi-layered cheesecloth in a colander. Drain the remaining whey from the curd.
- Wrap the cheesecloth around the curd and hang it for 4 hours to drain the whey.
- Mix the brine ingredients in a large container. Let the cheese soak in it for at least 8 hours and up to 3 weeks.
Additional Tips
- Do not boil the milk as it decreases its calcium content.
- Add calcium chloride to make the cheese firm.
- Do not use UHT or ultrapasteurized milk for making feta cheese.
- Use liquid rennet or half of the rennet tablet diluted in one-fourth cup of cool water. You may also use mesophilic starter culture or a tablespoon of yogurt instead of a feta starter culture.
