Danish pastries come from Denmark, and have a sweet crust with a filling based around fruit, nuts or cheese. A cheese Danish can be a quick and convenient way to start your morning, but it is high in calories and fat. If you want to eat a Danish for breakfast, be sure to plan for it so that it fits well into your diet.
Nutritional Overview
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a 2 1/2-oz. cheese Danish has 266 calories and nearly 16 g total fat. It has 6 g protein and 26 g carbohydrates including 5 g sugars and less than 1 g dietary fiber, which can help you control your weight and reduce the risk for constipation. The Danish has 7 mg cholesterol and 229 mg sodium, or about 10 percent of the daily value for someone on a 2,000-calorie diet
Types of Fat
An average 2 1/2-oz. cheese Danish has about 5 g saturated fat and 10 g unsaturated fat. If you can, check the label of your Danish to make sure that it does not have partially hydrogenated oils, which provide trans fats, and are common in processed snack foods such as pastries. Trans fats raise levels of bad LDL cholesterol in your blood, and the 2005 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend that you do not eat them.
Vitamins And Minerals
An average cheese Danish is not rich in many vitamins and minerals. A 2 1/2-oz. serving has 43 mcg folate, or 10 percent of the daily value for this essential vitamin for preventing neural tube birth defects. It also has 13 mg selenium, or 19 percent of the daily value. A Danish has 1 g iron, or 6 percent of the daily value, and minimal amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and vitamin D.
Weight Control
Since fat has 9 calories per g, a Danish has 144 calories from fat. This means that more than half of its 266 calories come from fat. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend keeping fat intake to less than 35 percent of your calories to help you control your weight. Foods with high amounts of fat tend to be high in calories but not very filling, so you are more likely to overeat if you eat a high-fat diet.
Considerations
When you are evaluating the nutrition in your cheese Danish, remember to pay attention to the size of your pastry. If your Danish is bigger or smaller than 2 1/2 oz., you will have to adjust the nutrition information to make it accurate. Also, keep in mind that a single Danish will probably only have a small impact on your overall health, and you should eat high-fat pastries in moderation and as part of a balanced healthy diet.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Research Service: Baked Products
- Mayo Clinic: Healthy Breakfast: Quick, Flexible Options to Grab at Home
- United States Department of Health And Human Services: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005
- Oregon State University: College of Health And Human Sciences: Danish, Danish Pastry
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