1. Feta Cheese Contains Fewer Calories and Less Fat than Most Cheeses
Traditionally made feta contains only 264 calories in 3.5 ounces, lower than all other whole-milk cheeses except ricotta and mozzarella. The lower calorie count stems from the lower fat content, at 21 grams per 3.5 ounces. Adding protein rich feta to salads and wraps will boost your protein intake while adding a rich, tangy flavor without adding many calories.
2. True Feta Cheese Is Made From Sheep's Milk, not Cow's Milk
Feta was first made with sheep's milk and later with goat's milk. When modern agribusinesses started producing feta, they used pasteurized cow's milk. Unfortunately, conventionally produced milk contains recombinant or genetically engineered growth hormones that have never been tested for safety on humans. Pasteurized milk, unless its organic, also contains antibiotic residues that contribute to antibiotic resistant bacteria. To avoid these issues, choose traditional feta made with sheep's milk, or from organic cow's milk.
3. Real Feta Cheese Comes From Greece
In the European Union, people are working to protect traditional foods from the homogenizing influences of global culture. So the EU has enacted a program called "Protected Designation of Origin," which is like a copyright on a traditional food. Under this law, all cheeses sold as feta in the EU must come from Greece and be made with at least 70% sheep's milk. To get the real flavor and nutritional benefits of true feta cheese, look for a product from Greece and make sure it contains a high percentage of sheep's milk.
4. Feta Is High In Salt
Only blue cheese and Roquefort cheeses are higher in sodium than feta cheese. These cheeses are rich in salt because of the methods used to make them. For feta, milk is curdled, and the whey is pressed out of it. This whey is then turned into brine by adding salt and water. The pressed brick of curds are placed in the brine to culture for at least six months. This process gives feta its wonderful sharp tang, but also imparts lots of salt.
If you're concerned about your sodium levels, soak your feta in water for a few minutes, and then rinse thoroughly before use. This will reduce sodium content dramatically without affecting the flavor too much.
5. Raw Cheeses Offer Additional Benefits
They're tough to find, but they are available in specialty and health foods stores. Raw Cheeses, like traditional, artisanal feta, contain many active enzymes and beneficial probiotic cultures, factors missing from cheeses made with pasteurized milk. Raw cheeses are legal in every state when aged more than 60 days, as feta is.
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