Cheddar Cheese Nutrition Facts - Calories, Carbs and Health Benefits

Understanding Cheddar Cheese Nutrition

Cheddar cheese is one of the most popular cheese varieties worldwide. With its slightly sweet, nutty flavor and wide range of textures and ages, it's a versatile ingredient used in many dishes.

When following a diet like the ketogenic diet, understanding the nutrition information for the foods you eat is important. That includes knowing details like the number of calories and macronutrients in a typical serving.

Calories in 1 Slice of Cheddar Cheese

So how many calories are actually in one slice of cheddar cheese? Here is the breakdown:

• 1 slice (1 ounce or 28g) cheddar cheese calories: 113

The number of calories can vary slightly depending on factors like the age, fat content, and exact weight of the cheese. But 113 calories per slice is a standard estimate.

Fat, Protein, Carbs, and More

Here are all the basic nutrition facts for 1 sliceor 1 ounceof cheddar cheese:

• Total Fat: 9g
• Saturated Fat: 6g
• Protein: 7g
• Total Carbohydrates: less than 1g
• Calcium: 20% DV
• Sodium: 176mg

As you can see, cheddar cheese is high in fat, particularly saturated fat. It also contains a good amount of protein. Meanwhile, the carbohydrates are very low at less than 1 gram per slice.

Eating Cheddar Cheese on a Keto Diet

The high fat, high protein, and low carb nutritional profile of cheddar cheese makes it an ideal food for ketogenic diets.

These diets require eating very few carbs, adequate protein, and high fat to achieve a metabolic state called ketosis. In ketosis, the body burns fat rather than carbs for fuel.

Keto Macronutrient Goals

Typical macronutrient goals on a standard ketogenic diet include:

• 60-75% of calories from fat
• 15-30% of calories from protein
• 5-10% of calories from net carbs

Cheddar cheese can help you reach these goals. It is very high in fat, moderately high in protein, and contains almost no carbs.

Health Benefits of Cheddar

Beyond macronutrient content, cheddar cheese also offers some valuable vitamins and minerals, including:

• Calcium - builds strong bones and teeth
• Protein - repairs muscles and provides energy
• Phosphorus - supports bone health
• Vitamin A - important for immune function
• Vitamin B12 - helps make DNA and red blood cells

As one of the good fats to eat on keto, cheddar cheese provides energy, nutrients, and health benefits.

How Much Cheddar Cheese on Keto?

Cheddar cheese can definitely be part of a well-formulated ketogenic diet. However, as with any food, portion control is essential.

Serving Suggestions

Here are some examples of reasonable serving sizes of cheddar cheese on a keto diet:

• 1-2 cheese slices
• 14 cup shredded cheese
• 12 ounce hard cheese
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese

Measure your portions to be aware of exactly how much you're eating. This will help you meet your daily macros and calorie goals.

Potential Drawbacks of Too Much

While delicious and keto-friendly, there are a few potential downsides of overdoing it on the cheddar cheese:

• High calories can lead to weight gain
• Lots of saturated fat may raise cholesterol
• Excess sodium can cause issues like high blood pressure

To avoid these issues, enjoy cheddar cheese in moderation as part of an overall healthy keto diet.

Types of Cheddar Cheese

With so many varieties, knowing the differences between types of cheddar cheese can help you pick the best option.

Mild vs Sharp vs Extra Sharp

The longer cheddar ages, the sharper it becomes:

• Mild cheddar is aged 3 months
• Sharp cheddar is aged 9-12 months
• Extra sharp cheddar is aged 18 months - 2 years

Older, sharper cheddar has a stronger flavor and aroma. The nutritional profile is fairly similar across varieties, but extra sharp cheddar tends to be slightly higher in fat.

Reduced-Fat vs Full-Fat

You can also get reduced-fat or full-fat cheddar:

• Full-fat has about 9 grams fat per ounce
• Reduced-fat has around 6 grams fat per ounce

For the keto diet, choose full-fat cheddar whenever possible for more healthy fats.

Tips for Adding Cheddar Cheese to Keto

Here are some simple tips for enjoying cheddar cheese as part of your ketogenic lifestyle:

1. Try an ounce of cheddar cheese melted over vegetables, keto-friendly meatballs, or low carb burgers
2. Mix shredded cheddar into egg scrambles along with veggies, bacon, avocado, etc.
3. Stuff bell peppers, mushrooms or small squash with cheddar cheese and bake
4. Dip slices of cheddar cheese in almond butter or guacamole for a quick snack
5. Grate extra sharp cheddar over taco salad or keto chili

With so many ways to enjoy it, cheddar cheese is incredibly versatile on a low carb, high-fat ketogenic diet.

Is Cheddar Keto-Friendly?

To recap, heres a quick overview explaining why cheddar cheese is one of the best keto diet foods:

• Very low in carbs
• Packed with health fats
• High in protein
• Rich in vitamins and minerals

Enjoying quality cheeses like cheddar in moderation can be part of an enjoyable, well-balanced ketogenic diet and lifestyle.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.