Feta Cheese
Food · Dairy · Food, Typed Supps
Feta is salty, tangy cheese that gives you calcium and B12, but it's also one of the saltier cheeses, so a little goes a long way.
Stage by stage
- Chewing & Release (Mouth): Feta's brined, crumbly texture releases sodium and flavor compounds immediately upon chewing, while digestion of its moderate lactose and protein content begins.
- Curd Breakdown (Stomach): Stomach acid and pepsin denature feta's casein proteins; because starter bacteria already broke down much of its lactose during fermentation, it's typically easier to digest than fluid milk for lactose-sensitive people.
- Nutrient Absorption (Small intestine): In the small intestine, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin B12 are absorbed alongside feta's fat, which aids uptake of the fat-soluble vitamins naturally present in the cheese.
- Bone & Cell Use (Bone & tissues): Absorbed calcium and phosphorus are deposited into bone mineral matrix while B12 supports red blood cell formation and nerve function — effects that accumulate with consistent intake rather than after one meal.
Timing
Feta is conventionally eaten as part of meals — salads, pastries, mezze — rather than for any physiological timing reason; there's no evidence that timing relative to food affects how well its calcium or B12 are absorbed.
Time to effect
- Weeks to months: A single serving supplies about 11% of the Daily Value for calcium and a meaningful share of B12, but measurable benefits to bone mineralisation or B12 status depend on consistent intake over weeks to months, not a one-time serving.
Allergens
Contains: Milk. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.
Eating patterns
Fits: Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Keto, Low-FODMAP, Gluten-free.
Satiety
106 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — moderate. Modelled from the Holt et al. (1995) measurements.
Environmental footprint
23.9 kg CO2e and 5605 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Cheese" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.
Cost band
Mid — roughly £8 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.
Key nutrients
Nutrition per 100g
- Calories: 256.5
- Protein: 16.6g
- Carbohydrate: 0.4g
- of which sugars: 0.4g
- Fat: 20.6g
- of which saturated: 13.1g
- Fibre: 0g
- Sodium: 1100mg
Food vs. supplement
Feta supplies calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin B12 bundled with protein and fermentation byproducts that isolated mineral or vitamin supplements don't replicate, but its sodium content (about 316 mg per ounce, roughly 14% of the Daily Value) means it isn't a sodium-free way to meet calcium needs.
Kitchen tip
Store feta submerged in its brine (or a homemade salt-water brine) rather than dry-wrapped — this preserves texture and extends shelf life — and rinse briefly under cold water before serving if you want to cut back on surface sodium.
Common myth
"Feta is a low-fat, diet-friendly cheese." In reality: Ounce for ounce, feta (about 74 kcal and 6 g fat per 28 g) isn't dramatically leaner than many hard cheeses — cheddar runs roughly 113 kcal and 9 g fat for the same weight — its lower-calorie reputation mostly reflects that it's typically crumbled and used in smaller portions, while its brine-curing gives it a notably higher sodium content (about 316 mg, ~14% DV, per ounce) than many other cheeses.
Recipes that use it
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