Whether you’re eating a hamburger or a slice of pizza, cheese is the most important ingredient. The right kind of cheese can take food from ordinary to extraordinary. Two of the most popular types of cheese are mozzarella and cheddar.
When it comes to cheese we don’t often think about its nutritional value, just its taste. So it got me wondering, between these two popular kinds of cheese, which one is better? Is one more nutritional than the other?
So I decided to do some investigating. In this article, I am going to do a side-by-side comparison of mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese. I will be comparing everything from nutritional content to price.
Ingredients Comparison
The first piece of information we want to gather is what ingredients are in each cheese.
The only difference between mozzarella and cheddar cheese is the added ingredient of annatto to cheddar cheese. Annatto is a natural ingredient that gives cheddar its uniform orange color.
Aside from this one added ingredient, both mozzarella and cheddar cheese have the same ingredients.
Mozzarella Cheese |
Cheddar Cheese |
|
Pasteurized part-skim milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes |
Pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, annatto |
Mozzarella Cheese vs Cheddar Cheese Nutritional Comparison
The only way to do a true comparison is to examine the nutritional value of each type of cheese. Mozzarella cheese comes in different forms, such as fresh, shredded, or grated. Cheddar cheese also comes in different forms but it also comes in a variety of flavors.
So for this comparison, I will only be comparing the block form of each cheese. And to keep the comparison fair, I will only be comparing low moisture, whole milk mozzarella and whole milk cheddar cheese.
Both types of cheese will be compared by the same serving size of 28 grams, or 1 ounce.
Few of us only consume 1 ounce of cheese at a time but this comparison is simply to give you a basic overview of the nutritional value of each type of cheese.
Best for Calorie Content
First on the comparison list is calories. Right away we see a difference between mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Cheddar cheese contains more calories than mozzarella cheese. Cheddar cheese has 110 calories per serving while mozzarella has 80 calories.
Cheese Type |
Calories Per Serving Size (28g) |
|
Mozzarella Cheese |
80 kcal |
|
Cheddar Cheese |
110 kcal |
Best for Carbs & Sugar Content
One of the reasons why cheese is such a popular food item is that it is naturally low in carbs and is sugar-free.
For this category, both types of cheese are winners. Both mozzarella and cheddar cheese contain only 1 gram of carbohydrates per serving and zero grams of sugar.
Cheese Type |
Carbohydrates Per Serving (28g) |
Sugar Per Serving (28g) |
|
Mozzarella Cheese |
1g |
0g |
|
Cheddar Cheese |
1g |
0g |
Best for Protein Content
The high protein content in cheese is another reason for its popularity. Both mozzarella and cheddar cheese are winners in this category as well. Mozzarella and cheddar cheese both contain 6 grams of protein per serving.
Cheese Type |
Protein Per Serving (28g) |
|
Mozzarella Cheese |
6g |
|
Cheddar Cheese |
6g |
Best for Fat Content
Cheese is not a naturally low-fat food. You can purchase low-fat cheese but in this comparison, we are looking at the fat content of cheese that contains whole milk. For this reason, both mozzarella and cheddar have a high-fat content per serving.
Cheddar cheese has a slightly higher amount of fat per serving than mozzarella but both mozzarella and cheddar are similar when it comes to the amount of saturated fat per serving.
Cheese Type |
Fat Per Serving (28g) |
Saturated Fat Per Serving (28g) |
|
Mozzarella Cheese |
6g |
4g |
|
Cheddar Cheese |
9g |
5g |
It’s important to know the amount of saturated fat in cheese. Saturated fat is known as the “bad” fat because consuming too much of it can not only make you gain weight but also raise your cholesterol levels, increase your risk of heart disease and even put you at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
Best for Sodium/Salt Content
Sodium is another area that needs to be closely watched when it comes to our consumption of cheese. Oftentimes when a food item is low in calories, it makes up for it with a high sodium content.
Too much sodium in the diet can lead to a host of health problems, especially for our hearts. The trouble with sodium, though, is that it is what makes any type of cheese taste so good.
Both mozzarella and cheddar cheese have high amounts of sodium but cheddar contains the highest amount at 180 mg per serving.
Cheese Type |
Sodium Per Serving (28g) |
|
Mozzarella Cheese |
150 mg |
|
Cheddar Cheese |
180 mg |
Best for Vitamins/Minerals
We don’t often think of cheese when we consider the amount of vitamins and minerals in food but cheese does have two very important vitamins: calcium and potassium.
Mozzarella and Cheddar each have 20 mg of potassium per serving but cheddar has a higher amount of calcium. Cheddar cheese contains 200 mg of calcium while mozzarella only has 130 mg.
Cheese Type |
Calcium Content Per Serving (28g) |
Potassium Content Per Serving (28g) |
|
Mozzarella Cheese |
130 mg |
20mg |
|
Cheddar Cheese |
200 mg |
20mg |
Best for Flavor/Texture
Knowing the nutritional value of both mozzarella and cheddar cheese is important but just as equally important is the flavor and texture of each type of cheese.
Mozzarella and cheddar are very different when it comes to flavor and texture. Mozzarella has more of a milky taste while cheddar has more of a buttery taste. Mozzarella is also much milder in flavor than cheddar.
Texture-wise, both types of cheese are soft but cheddar is a firmer cheese than mozzarella. The high moisture content in mozzarella makes it much smoother and a lot easier to melt.
Deciding the winner of this category will be left up to you. The type of cheese you prefer will often depend on what you are eating or cooking.
Best for Price
Pricewise, both mozzarella and cheddar are comparable. In general, a block of mozzarella or cheddar sells for around $4.00. The price will vary depending on the type of mozzarella or cheddar you buy as well as where you purchase it from.
For example, a ball of fresh mozzarella will cost several dollars more than a block of mozzarella.
Flavored cheddar or cheddar that is spreadable will also cost more. The price will also vary if you purchase store-brand mozzarella or cheddar versus name-brand cheese.
Overall Winner
After comparing mozzarella and cheddar side-by-side, it’s now time to see which one comes out on top. The overall winner of this comparison is mozzarella.
Both mozzarella and cheddar cheese are very similar when it comes to carbs, protein, and vitamins, however, mozzarella is the winner because it has fewer calories and fat.
At the end of the day, though, you are the judge of which type of cheese is the winner. Both mozzarella and cheddar cheese are similar in a lot of ways but they differ greatly when it comes to taste. Deciding the ultimate winner between these two types of cheese will ultimately come down to your personal choice.
Comparison Category |
Winner (Mozzarella or Cheddar) |
|
Best for Calorie Content |
Mozzarella |
|
Best for Carbs & Sugar |
Both are winners |
|
Best for Protein Content |
Both are winners |
|
Best for Fat Content |
Mozzarella |
|
Best for Sodium/Salt Content |
Mozzarella |
|
Best for Vitamins/Minerals |
Cheddar |
|
Best for Flavor/Texture |
Both are winners |
|
Best for Price |
Both are winners |
Overall Winner |
Mozzarella |
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