Feta Cheese Nutrition Calculator — Calories & Nutrition per Serving

Feta cheese (FDC 173420) delivers 265 kcal per 100g — making it the lowest-calorie widely available traditional cheese. Compare: cheddar (403 kcal), Parmesan (392 kcal), Gouda (356 kcal), mozzarella (299 kcal). Feta's 34% calorie advantage over cheddar persists across typical serving sizes ^[1].

The lower calorie density comes from feta's relatively high moisture content (about 55%) and its production from sheep and goat milk, which creates a softer, less concentrated cheese. Unlike aged cheeses that lose moisture over months, feta is typically consumed after just 2-3 months of brine aging ^[2].

Per 1-oz serving: feta (74 kcal) vs cheddar (113 kcal) vs Parmesan (110 kcal). Over a week of daily salad with 1 oz of cheese, feta saves 273 kcal vs cheddar — a meaningful difference from a single ingredient swap that doesn't sacrifice the salty, tangy flavor many people want on salads ^[1].

Feta is brined — stored in a salt solution that gives it a distinctive tangy, salty flavor while preserving the cheese for months. This process results in 917mg sodium per 100g (40% DV) — among the highest of any cheese. A 1-oz serving adds 257mg sodium, and a quarter-cup crumbled (38g) adds 349mg ^[1].

For context among cheeses: feta (917mg) > Parmesan (1,529mg) but lower than American cheese (1,671mg). However, feta is often consumed in larger quantities — 1/4 to 1/2 cup on a Greek salad — making the total sodium contribution comparable to hard cheeses used in smaller amounts ^[1].

Rinsing feta under water for 30 seconds can reduce surface sodium by approximately 15-20%, though it also mutes flavor. Reduced-fat feta tends to have slightly less sodium (~850mg/100g) due to different processing. For sodium-conscious tracking, measuring feta by weight is essential — a "generous sprinkle" of crumbled feta can easily reach 50-75g ^[2].

Despite being the lowest-calorie traditional cheese, feta delivers substantial micronutrients. Calcium at 493mg per 100g (38% DV) puts it below cheddar (721mg) but above mozzarella (505mg is close). A quarter-cup of crumbled feta provides 187mg calcium (14% DV) ^[1].

Vitamin B12 is exceptionally high: 1.69mcg per 100g (70% DV). This places feta among the richest B12 food sources — higher than mozzarella (2.28mcg, though per calorie feta is comparable), beef liver, and salmon. A single ounce of feta provides 0.47mcg B12 (20% DV) ^[1].

The protein content of 14.2g per 100g is modest for cheese (cheddar has 22.9g, mozzarella 22.2g) but higher than cream cheese (5.9g) and brie (12.4g). Because feta is lower in calories, the protein-per-calorie ratio is competitive: 5.4g per 100 kcal — comparable to cheddar's 5.7g per 100 kcal ^[1].

A typical Greek salad uses approximately 50g of crumbled feta (about 1/3 cup). The feta contributes: 133 kcal, 7.1g protein, 10.6g fat, 247mg calcium (19% DV), 459mg sodium (20% DV), and 0.85mcg B12 (35% DV) ^[1].

The entire salad (feta + tomato + cucumber + onion + olives + olive oil dressing) typically totals 350-450 kcal — meaning feta provides roughly 30-38% of the total calories and virtually all of the calcium and B12. Without feta, a Greek salad is primarily vegetables and oil with minimal protein ^[1].

For those managing calories: reducing feta from 50g to 30g saves 53 kcal and 4.3g fat while still providing 148mg calcium and 0.51mcg B12 — meaningful contributions. Substituting reduced-fat feta saves calories while maintaining the same weight: 50g of reduced-fat = 95 kcal vs 133 kcal for regular ^[2].

EU PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) requires that authentic "Feta" comes from specific regions in Greece and is made from at least 70% sheep's milk (often with up to 30% goat's milk). Most US-sold feta is made from cow's milk, which creates measurably different nutrition ^[2].

Traditional sheep/goat feta: 265 kcal, 14.2g protein, 21.28g fat, 493mg calcium per 100g. Cow's milk feta: approximately 250 kcal, 16g protein, 19.5g fat, 450mg calcium. Cow's milk feta has slightly more protein and less fat because cow's milk has a different casein-to-whey ratio ^[1].

Sheep's milk feta has a more complex flavor — sharper, tangier, and slightly grassy — while cow's milk feta tends to be milder and creamier. The saturated fat is higher in sheep feta (14.95g vs ~12.5g/100g) because sheep's milk has naturally higher fat content (6-7% vs cow's 3.5%) ^[3].