Whether you're looking for a snack or a party appetizer, mozzarella sticks serve up gooey heartiness and big flavor. Rods of mozzarella cheese are encased in batter, which can be baked or deep-fried according to your tastes and nutritional preferences. There are very few ingredients in mozzarella sticks, but each contributes to the vitamins and minerals you get in this dish.
Mozzarella Cheese
One mozzarella stick uses a 1 oz. piece of mozzarella string cheese. Using reduced-fat string cheese helps you keep the fat in this dish to a minimum. One string cheese contains 50 calories and 1.5 grams of fat, along with 6 grams of protein and 1 gram of carbohydrates. The cooking method influences the total fat content of a mozzarella stick -- deep frying adds quite a bit more fat, while baking your mozzarella sticks keeps the fat to a minimum. String cheese is a good source of calcium and also supplies you with vitamin A.
One Egg
The batter for mozzarella sticks calls for one egg, which makes the batter stick to the mozzarella cheese. The batter produces six servings of mozzarella sticks. One-sixth of an egg -- the amount for one serving, or two sticks -- contributes 11 calories to the recipe. It also contains 0.7 grams of fat and 1 gram of protein. The egg supplies you with selenium, riboflavin, phosphorus, vitamin B-12 and pantothenic acid.
Italian Seasoning
Italian seasoning provides no nutritional value to your mozzarella sticks, but it does add flavor to the batter. Many Italian seasoning mixes contain dried savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, sage, basil and oregano. The herbs and mixtures vary from brand to brand. You can also make this seasoning mix yourself, either by combining dried herbs or by drying herbs from your garden.
Bread Crumbs
Bread crumbs provide mozzarella sticks with their crispy crunch. You can purchase ready-made bread crumbs or make your own with stale bread. There are 0.6 oz. of bread crumbs in each serving of two mozzarella sticks. These crumbs add 67 calories to the recipe as well as 0.9 grams of fat, 2.2 grams of protein and 12.2 grams of carbohydrates. Bread crumbs provide thiamin, manganese and selenium.
Marinara Sauce
Marinara sauce is a common accompaniment to mozzarella sticks. The amount of sauce you consume with this cheese dish will vary by your personal tastes. Each serving of sticks calls for 1/8 of a cup of this sauce, which adds 30 calories, 1 gram of fat, 5 grams of carbohydrates and less than 1 gram of protein. Marinara sauce is a source of vitamin A, which benefits your eyes.
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