Dairy

Feta cheese nutrition, the complete picture.

The number most people want first: 1 oz of feta cheese holds 75 calories, alongside 4 g of protein. Those numbers describe “Cheese, feta” in USDA FoodData Central. It is a strong source of vitamin B12 and riboflavin. Choose how much you are eating and the panel does the arithmetic from there.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

Every value traces to USDA FoodData Central (173420); Daily Values follow the FDA label rules.

Feta cheese calories by portion

At 265 calories per 100 g, 1 oz of feta cheese comes to 75. The weights shown for each portion come straight from the USDA record.

Feta cheese and its protein content

For protein, 1 oz of feta cheese gives you 4 g, which fills 8 percent of the daily 50 g benchmark. By calories feta cheese is 21 percent protein, so it adds to your intake but will not anchor it.

The calorie breakdown runs 21 percent protein to 73 percent fat to 6 percent carbohydrate. Functionally, that is mostly a fat.

Buying, keeping and using feta cheese

True Greek feta uses sheep milk, sometimes blended with goat milk. Cow milk versions exist but lack the traditional sharp tang. Look for blocks sold in brine rather than dry crumbles. Brine keeps the cheese moist and preserves its crumbly, creamy texture. Avoid blocks with a yellow rind, which indicates dryness.

Feta does not melt like cheddar. Heat softens it and makes it creamy, but it retains its shape. The common mistake is adding it too early to hot dishes, which can make it dissolve into a grainy sauce. Fold it in at the end of cooking, or grill it until the edges brown.

Serve it cold in Greek salads with olives and cucumbers, or crumble it over roasted beetroot. It pairs well with watermelons in summer salads. In Turkish and Middle Eastern kitchens, cooks bake it into pastries or mash it with olive oil and herbs to make a spread for flatbreads.

Everything USDA measures in feta cheese

Top of the list for 1 oz of feta cheese: vitamin B12 at 20 percent of a day, riboflavin at 18 percent of a day. The remaining nutrients are tabulated underneath and update live.

Sodium is the figure to watch here: 1,139 mg per 100 g is 50 percent of a day’s limit, which is what usually decides how often feta cheese fits.

How far feta cheese goes in a day

1 oz of feta cheese uses 4 percent of a 2,000 calorie day and returns 8 percent of the protein reference. Your own budget is probably not 2,000; the TDEE calculator works it out, and the macro calculator splits it into protein, carbs and fat.

Recipes that start with feta cheese

The Calorie Counter Team wrote these. Under every recipe the numbers are added up from the USDA record for each ingredient and split across the servings.

Breakfast · Mediterranean

Baked Feta with Eggs and Tomatoes

A warm breakfast of eggs baked directly in a sauce of melted feta cheese and tinned tomatoes.

20 min · serves 2

391kcal

20gprotein

30gfat

11gcarbs

Ingredients

• Feta cheese 150 g
• Tinned chopped tomatoes 400 g
• Olive oil 15 g
• Large eggs 120 g
• Dried oregano 2 g
• Ground black pepper 1 g

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Pour the olive oil and chopped tomatoes into a shallow 20cm ovenproof dish.
3. Crumble the feta cheese into the tomatoes and stir to distribute it evenly.
4. Make two small wells in the mixture and crack an egg into each well.
5. Sprinkle the dried oregano and black pepper over the top.
6. Bake for 15 minutes until the egg whites are set and the cheese is hot.

Per serving, from 6 USDA FoodData Central records. Cooking changes weight and some nutrients; treat these as close rather than exact.

Lunch · Greek

Spinach and Feta Filo Parcels

Crisp pastry parcels filled with a seasoned mixture of wilted spinach and crumbled feta cheese.

35 min · serves 2

619kcal

22gprotein

42gfat

40gcarbs

Ingredients

• Feta cheese 200 g
• Fresh spinach 250 g
• Filo pastry sheets 120 g
• Unsalted butter 40 g
• Ground nutmeg 1 g

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C and grease a flat baking sheet with 5 grams of the butter.
2. Cook the spinach in a saucepan over medium heat for 3 minutes until wilted, then squeeze out all excess liquid.
3. Chop the spinach and mix it in a bowl with the crumbled feta cheese and ground nutmeg.
4. Brush a sheet of filo pastry with melted butter, fold it in half, and place one-quarter of the mixture at one end.
5. Fold the pastry over the filling diagonally to form a triangle, repeating the process for the remaining three parcels.
6. Place the parcels on the baking sheet, brush with the remaining butter, and bake for 20 minutes until golden.

Nutrition per serving, calculated across 5 USDA ingredient records. Expect small differences once cooked.

Dinner · Mediterranean

Warm Feta and White Bean Mash

A substantial main dish of mashed cannellini beans and melted feta cheese, served with roasted red peppers.

30 min · serves 2

456kcal

21gprotein

27gfat

36gcarbs

Ingredients

• Feta cheese 150 g
• Tinned cannellini beans, drained 240 g
• Red bell pepper 200 g
• Olive oil 20 g
• Garlic cloves, minced 6 g
• Lemon juice 15 g

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Slice the red bell pepper into 2cm strips, toss with 10 grams of olive oil, and roast on a baking tray for 20 minutes.
3. Warm the drained cannellini beans and minced garlic in a saucepan with the remaining olive oil over low heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add the crumbled feta cheese and lemon juice to the saucepan.
5. Mash the bean and cheese mixture with a fork until thick and thoroughly combined.
6. Spoon the mash onto plates and top with the roasted red pepper strips.

Per serving, from 6 USDA FoodData Central records. Cooking changes weight and some nutrients; treat these as close rather than exact.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

A plate built around feta cheese

One way to build a meal around feta cheese, costed from the same records. Substitute freely; the method carries over.

Feta cheese beside its neighbours

Here is how feta cheese sits among its neighbours per 100 g; the form column keeps raw and cooked apart.

What people ask about feta cheese

How many calories are in 1 oz of feta cheese?

1 oz of feta cheese is 75 calories. That comes from the USDA record “Cheese, feta” (FDC 173420), which is 265 calories per 100 g.

How much protein does feta cheese have?

14 g per 100 g, so 1 oz of feta cheese supplies 4 g. Against the Daily Value that is 8 percent.

Does feta cheese fit a calorie deficit?

No food causes or prevents weight loss on its own. The useful facts are that 1 oz of feta cheese is 75 calories with 4 g of protein, which makes 21 percent of its calories protein; useful alongside a protein source rather than as one.

What vitamins and minerals does feta cheese have?

Per 1 oz of feta cheese, the standouts against the Daily Value are vitamin B12 at 20 percent, riboflavin at 18 percent. The full table above lists every nutrient USDA reports for this record.

Can you freeze feta cheese?

Yes, you can freeze feta, but the texture becomes more crumbly after thawing. Freeze the block in its brine to protect the flavour. Use thawed feta for cooking or baking rather than eating cold in salads.

How do you reduce the saltiness of feta?

Soak the cheese in fresh water or milk before using it. Let the block sit in the liquid for some time in the fridge. This draws out the excess salt without ruining the crumbly texture of the cheese.

Sources

• Cheese, feta — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 173420
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9