Kefalotyri (or Kefalotiri) is a traditional Greek pressed cooked cheese that is made with either goat’s milk or sheep’s milk or a combination of the two. It is very popular in Greece and the rest of the world as a Saganaki cheese. Read on to discover the nutrition facts for Kefalotyri.
SEE ALSO: Nutrition facts for popular world cheeses in The Cheese Scientist’s index →
Nutrition Facts Summary for Kefalotyri
Due to its high fat and low carbohydrate contents, Kefalotyri is a great cheese for people following a ketogenic diet. Moreover, like other pressed cooked cheeses, Kefalotyri contains little to no detectable levels of lactose. As a result, even the most sensitive lactose intolerant cheese lovers tends to be able to digest this Greek cheese comfortably.
All commercial versions of Kefalotyri are made with pasteurised goat’s or sheep’s milk. This fact, combined with its low moisture content and lack of rind, make Kefalotyri safe to eat during pregnancy.
Moreover, it is most often served grilled in the popular Greek dish, Saganaki. And, as we have discussed before, all cheeses that are cooked or grilled at a high temperature are safe for pregnant women to eat.
Having said all of this, Kefalotyri is very high in sodium. As a result, it should be avoided by people who are on a sodium-restricted diet. This might include patients with high blood pressure and existing heart conditions.
References
Overall nutritional content
The nutritional content of cheese in our table comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository, the Australian Food Composition Database and cheese manufacturers. We realise that there can be variations between different brands and producers. Hence, the numbers we have used are averages.
Fat content
Our fat RDI data comes from Cleveland Clinic’s Healthy Fat Intake resource.
Type of fat in cheese as per Harvard T.H. Chan’s The Nutrition Source.
Protein content
Our protein RDI data comes from Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publishing.
Cholesterol content
Is There a Correlation between Dietary and Blood Cholesterol? Evidence from Epidemiological Data and Clinical Interventions? – Maria Luz Fernandez and Ana Gabriela Murillo
Saturated fat, carbohydrate, and cardiovascular disease – Patty W Siri-Tarino, Qi Sun, Frank B Hu and Ronald M Krauss
Effect of cheese consumption on blood lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials – Janette de Goede, Johanna M Geleijnse, Eric L Ding, Sabita S Soedamah-Muthu
Safety in pregnancy
All the advice relating to what cheeses you can eat during pregnancy in this article is based on the recommendations by health authorities in Australia, the UK and the USA. If you are unsure about what you can or cannot eat, please consult your doctor.
Australia – FSANZ, United Kingdom – NHS and United Sates of America – FDA
Lactose content
Lactose residual content in PDO cheeses
Detection of lactose in products with low lactose content
The analysis of lactose in milk and cheese products by HPLC
Food Standards ANZ Food Composition Database
Lactose & Galactose content of cheese
Cheese lover. Scientist. Created a website and a Youtube channel about cheese science because he could not find answers to his questions online.
