Test Your Cheese Knowledge
Cheese is the #2 source of calcium in the American diet.
The dairy food group (milk, cheese and yogurt) is not only the main source of calcium and vitamin D, but also a significant contributor of phosphorus and potassium.2 Most cheeses are a good to excellent source of calcium.
2. Fulgoni III VL, Keast DR, Quann EE, Auestad N. Food sources of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, and potassium in the U.S. Presented at Experimental Biology, Anaheim, Calif. April 24-29, 2010.1
If you are lactose intolerant, you need to avoid cheese.
When cheese is made, 96-98% of the lactose in the milk is removed, so cheese can be an important source of calcium for people with lactose intolerance. Natural cheeses such as Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella and Swiss contain minimal amounts of lactose.
Cheese is a nutrient-rich food.
Cheese contributes high-quality protein as well as calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A and zinc to the American diet.33. Dairy Research Institute. NHANES (2003-2006). Ages 2+ years. Data Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Hyattsville, MD: US Dept. of Health and Human Services, CDC, [2003-2004; 2005-2006]
You can't eat cheese if you're following a gluten-free diet.
Cheese is a major source of sodium in the American diet.
The majority of sodium in the U.S. diet (92%) comes from sources other than cheese. Cheese contributes only 8% of the sodium.44. Hentges E. Sources of sodium in the food supply. Paper presented at the Institute of Medicine Committee on Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake. Information-Gathering Workshop; 2009; Washington, D.C.
Natural cheese is made with 4 ingredients.
Natural cheese is made from four basic ingredients: milk, salt, starter culture (“good” bacteria) and an enzyme called rennet.
