The Greeks have been making feta cheese for more than two centuries and refer to it as the princess of cheeses. It is made from sheep's milk or a combination of sheep and goat's milk. Feta cheese can be a source of fat and sodium in your diet. To decrease your fat and calorie intake, consider using low-fat feta cheese.
Serving Size and Calories
To make it easier for you to compare food items, the FDA has standardized food serving sizes. A serving of low-fat feta cheese is equal to 1 oz. Calories in a food indicate the amount of energy it provides. A 1 oz. serving of Salakis low-fat feta cheese contains 61 calories, while a 1 oz. serving of a generic brand of low-fat feta cheese contains about 45 calories. By comparison, a 1 oz. serving of regular feta cheese contains 75 calories.
Fat
For an item to be able to call itself low-fat, it must contain less than 3 g of fat per serving, according to the Colorado University Extension. A 1 oz. serving of Salakis and a generic brand of low-fat feta cheese each contain 3 g of total fat and 0 g of saturated fat. The USDA dietary guidelines recommend you limit your daily fat intake to 20 to 35 percent of calories, and saturated fat to less than 10 percent of daily calories.
Carbohydrates
Low-fat feta cheese is not a significant source of carbohydrates. A 1 oz. serving of the Salakis and a generic brand of low-fat feta cheese each contain less than 1 g of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates in food provide your body with energy and should make up 45 to 65 percent of your daily calorie needs. On a 2,000-calorie diet your daily carbohydrate intake should range from 225 to 325 g per day.
Protein
A 1 oz. serving of Salakis low-fat feta cheese contains 7.6 g of protein, and a 1 oz. serving of a generic brand can contain only 2.4 g of protein. Your body uses the protein in your food to rebuild tissue, make hormones, promote growth and preserve your lean muscle mass. A balanced diet should contain 10 to 35 percent of its calories from protein. Most Americans get more than enough protein in their diets, states the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Healthy adult women need about 46 g of protein a day, and healthy adult men need 56 g of protein a day.
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