Love It, Like It, Hate It: Fancy cheese + party cheese!

We’re Getting the Skinny on Cheese! In particular, fancy cheeses and party cheeses that we serve at parties – like the non-party we may have this weekend when we’re not watching the game.

We love cheese in dips, on pizza, crackers, with fruit, or just plain, but unfortunately the calories, sodium, and saturated fat can quickly add up.  The options in the cheese case are practically endless, but here’s a rundown of the best and worst of some of the more popular cheeses.

Note: Most “fancy” cheeses in the cheese case don’t have a nutrition facts label. These are mostly in the “LIKE IT” category, see stats below.

LOVE IT!!

Fresh Buffalo-Style Mozzarella

• Ingredients: milk, vinegar, enzymes, salt

• Per ounce: 70 calories, 3 grams saturated fat, 85 mg sodium, <1 gram carb, 5 grams protein

Goat Cheese

• Ingredients: Cultured goat’s milk, sea salt, enzymes

• Per ounce: 70 calories, 4 grams saturated fat, 90 mg sodium, 1 gram carb, 4 grams protein

Swiss [e.g. Jarlsberg Light]

• Ingredients: Skim milk, culture,salt, enzymes, vitamin A palmitate

• Per ounce: 70 calories, 2 grams saturated fat, 95 mg sodium, 2 grams carb, 9 grams protein

LIKE IT!

‘REAL’ cheese, any variety [e.g. Brie, Cheddar, Bleu Cheese]

• All-natural ingredients of milk, salt, enzymes

• Average per ounce: 70-120 calories, <1 gram carb, 4-5 grams sat fat, 60-330 mg sodium, <1 gram carb, 4-6 grams protein

Cabot Sharp Extra Light Cheddar 

• Ingredients: Nonfat milk and milk, cheese cultures, corn starch*, salt, monoglyceride*, diglyceride*, enzymes (*ingredients not found in regular cheese)

• Per ounce: 60 calories, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 200 mg sodium, 0 carbs, 9 grams protein

Goat’s Milk Feta

• Ingredients: Goat’s milk, salt, culture, rennet

• Per ounce: 60 calories, 4 grams saturated fat, 180 mg sodium, 1 gram carb, 6 grams protein

HATE IT!

Traditional Style Feta

• Ingredients: Milk, salt, culture, enzymes

• Per ounce: 60 calories, 2.5 grams saturated fat, 370 mg sodium, 1 gram carb, 5 grams protein

Fat Free Feta

• Ingredients: Skim milk, salt, culture, enzymes, potato starch

• Per ounce: 35 calories, 0 saturated fat, 340 mg sodium, 6 grams carb, 3 grams protein

Velveeta [in dip + sauces]

• Ingredients: Skim milk, milk, milk & whey protein concentrates, oil, whey, sodium phosphate, modified food starch…

• Per ounce: 70 calories, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 390 mg sodium, 3 grams carb, 4 grams protein

Queso [e.g. Tostitos Salsa Con Queso]

• Ingredients: Water, milk, cheese, oil, modified corn starch, tomatoes, peppers, salt, cheese, sodium hexametaphosphate (emulsifier), monosodium glutamate (MSG), yellow 5, yellow 6

• Per ounce: 40 calories, 1 gram saturated fat, 280 mg sodium, 5 grams carb, <1 gram protein

To catch the full segment on WGNO.com, click here.