There is no doubt that goat cheese is a highly desired dairy product throughout the world. It is rich and creamy with a distinct taste.
From soft and spreadable fresh cheese to salty and crumbly aged cheeses, goat cheese comes in a wide variety of flavours and textures.
Even though goat cheese is made through the same coagulation and separation process as cheese made from cow’s milk, the nutritional value of goat cheese differs from cheese made from cow’s milk.
In general, goat cheese has a number of health benefits including its low-calorie content in comparison with cow cheese. So, if you enjoy chunks of cheese every day but want to watch your calorie intake, then this cheese is ideal for you.
Furthermore, goat cheese digests differently from cow’s milk and is an alternative cheese for people with allergies to cow’s milk cheese.
There are many health benefits to eating goat cheese, and this article will provide you with creative ideas on how you can include goat cheese in your diet.
You will learn about the nutritional profile of goat cheese, its benefits, some of its potential side effects, and how to make goat cheese at your home. So read on to find out more!
Goat cheese nutrition
It is important to understand that goat cheese’s nutritional content varies depending on the type of processing used, such as curing or aging.
There are a lot of good nutrients in goat cheese, including healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Though the recommended portion size for goat cheese may seem small, one ounce (28 grams) of goat cheese provides quite a bit of nutritional value.
Nutritional ValueThe following nutrients are contained in 1 – ounce (28 grams) of goat cheese: |
|
| Calories | 102 |
| Fat | 8 grams |
| Protein | 6 grams |
| Calcium | 8% of the RDI |
| Phosphorus | 10% of the RDI |
| Copper | 8% of the RDI |
| Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 11% of the RDI |
| Iron | 3% of the RDI |
| Vitamin A | 8% of the RDI |
There are various types of healthy fats found in goat cheese, including short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids, monounsaturated fats, medium-chain triglycerides ands polyunsaturated fat.
Additionally, it is a great source of selenium, niacin (vitamin B3) and magnesium.
Moreover, it is a great source of high-quality, easily digestible protein, which provides you with most of the essential amino acids (in greater quantities than cow cheese).
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Top 5 Health Benefits of Goat Cheese
1. It’s got fewer calories than cow’s cheese.
There are 75 calories in a single ounce of goat cheese; this is significantly less than the average cheese made from cows such as mozzarella (85 calories), brie (95 calories), Swiss (108 calories), and cheddar (115 calories).
Furthermore, goat’s cheese is rich in vitamins and minerals that cow’s cheese lacks.
There are various nutrients found more abundant in goat’s milk, such as vitamin A, vitamin B, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
2. Easily digestible.
There are differences in the protein structure of goat milk compared to cow milk, including a smaller amount of lactose. In actuality, these small changes make a significant difference: even people who are allergic to cow’s milk will usually be able to drink goat’s milk without experiencing any issues.
3. Consists of healthy fats
There are approximately six grams of fat per serving of full-fat goat cheese, most of which is saturated fat.
It’s true that saturated fats have been branded as unhealthy and “dangerous” for your heart, but there are a lot of studies that show this isn’t the case at all. Goat milk tends to contain smaller fat globules that are easier to digest than cow milk.
On average, cow and goat milk are similar in terms of fat content. It’s been discovered that goat milk and goat cheese contain antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties.
4. Good Source of Protein and Calcium
If you don’t eat many green vegetables, nuts, or seafood, then goat’s milk and goat cheese are great sources of calcium, which can be hard to get enough of if you don’t eat many different types of dairy products.
Getting about 10 to 30 per cent of your daily calcium requirements can usually be met by eating about one or two servings of high-quality dairy products per day, which can include raw goat cheese and other types of raw cheese.
One ounce/ serving of goat cheese is also packed with about five to six grams of protein, which makes it an excellent addition to salads, roasted vegetables and other low-protein appetizers.
There have been studies that have shown that goat cheese tends to have a slightly lower protein content in comparison with cow’s milk cheeses owing to the higher rate of protein degradation during cheese making.
5. Great Source of Phosphorus, B Vitamins and Copper
Goat’s cheese not only contains protein and fat, but it also contains phosphorus, copper, a variety of B vitamins like vitamin B6 and a small amount of iron.
Protein, calcium and iron – the combination might help support bone formation and contribute to the absorption of some minerals. An ounce of goat cheese provides you with between 10 percent and 20 percent of your daily copper intake (depending on the type of cheese)
Goat Cheese vs. Cow Cheese
Does goat cheese have a better nutritional value than other cheeses, such as feta and cheddar? Below is a breakdown of how goat cheese differs from other cheeses in the following ways:
- Cheeses made with goat’s milk contain fewer calories, fat, and protein than cheeses such as cheddar, brie and gouda that are made with cow’s milk.
- Cow cheese and goat cheese have different protein breakdowns. Casein and whey are the main proteins in cow cheese.
- There are two types of casein protein. These are A1 beta-casein protein and A2 beta-casein protein, respectively.
- It has been found that when you digest the A1 beta-casein protein in your body, it gets broken down into a substance called beta-casomorphin-7, this compound is responsible for many of the ill effects associated with cow’s milk foods, including digestive discomfort, inflammation and cognitive issues.
- The beta-casein in goat cheese does not break down into beta-casomorphin-7 like that in cow cheese, which contains both types of casein proteins.
Research has shown that regular cow’s milk consumption can lead to constipation, cognition difficulties, systemic inflammation, and low levels of short-chain fatty acids, which contribute to gut health. As opposed to this, the products with only A2 beta-casein were not associated with any of these unwanted effects.
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How To Make Goat Cheese At Home
Making fresh goat cheese is as easy as mixing goat’s milk with vinegar or lemon juice. Depending on what’s available, you can also use starter culture or rennet.
What You’ll Need
- A boiling pot
- 1 Gallon Goat’s milk (whole, unpasteurized) [adjust the volume as required]
- 4 Tbsp of Lemon Juice or Vinegar
- Clean Cheese Cloth or Kitchen towel
How To Make It
- Bring a gallon of goat milk to a simmer in the boiling pot.
- As soon as bubbles form around the corners, turn off the heat.
- You can add 4 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar now.
- Wait 10 minutes for the curds to form.
- Using a piece of cheesecloth, drain the curds.
- Now, you have to wrap the cheesecloth (bundle it up!) around the curds, and then hang it for one or two hours to let the moisture drain.
- That’s it! You’ve got fresh goat cheese!
How Long Does Goat Cheese Last?
Just like any food product, goat cheese can go bad. However, there are a lot of things that impact how long goat cheese lasts.
The type of goat cheese you’re using, the storage, or how it was made all these factors play a very important role in figuring out how long a goat cheese will last.
Keeping things simple for you, we will stick to the three most common types of goat cheese you’re likely to find in your grocery store.
- Fresh goat cheese: They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but it’s most commonly in rectangle logs. It’s easy to spread. Just keep it in the original packaging or a plastic bag to store it.
- Aged goat cheese: There is a noticeable difference in texture and taste between fresh goat cheese and aged goat cheese. Up to 12 weeks are necessary for these cheeses to ripen in the storage facility. Wrap the aged cheese in some parchment paper before you store it. Follow that by covering it with plastic wrap.
- Soft-ripened goat cheese: In most cases, these cheese varieties have a bloomy rind, similar to that of brie cheese. This cheese can be stored in an airtight container.
Cheese should always be kept in the fridge. All refrigerated goat cheeses last about the same amount of time.
We’ve covered storage, let’s talk shelf life.
Generally, goat cheese lasts between one and two weeks in the refrigerator if stored properly.
You could even freeze it if you want to extend their life. In fact, if you freeze the cheese well, it should last as long as six months or even longer.
While the cheese may not taste as good as it once did, it is definitely less likely to spoil.
Is goat cheese dairy?
Ultimately, goat milk (and goat cheese) can most certainly be considered to be a dairy product. Dairy products refer to any and all milk from mammals (a goat, camel, cow, sheep, donkey, etc.) as well as any/all products derived from milk (such as cheese, yoghurt, sour cream, etc.)