The calories in dairy can vary widely, depending on what food you are looking at. From milk to yoghurt, cheese to fromage frais, eggs to butter, the calories in dairy can be a part of many different foods that we eat.
We are encouraged to eat these foods as part of a healthy diet, so it makes sense to know what the calories in dairy are if you are watching your weight. Most dieticians recommend three portions per day as part of a balanced diet.
What makes this area such a minefield for many people is that there are high and low fat options, and many choices, such as fruit flavoured yoghurt, can also be packed with additional sugar.
Fat certainly makes an impact - compare the three types of milk below to see the difference:
- Whole milk - 70 calories (kcal) per 100 grams
- Semi-skimmed milk - 50 kcal per 100 grams
- Skimmed milk - 38 kcal per 100 grams
Thus, simply changing from whole milk to skimmed milk reduces the calories per glass by almost 50%. You will find a similar pattern when you compare different types of cheese:
- Cheese (average) - 440 kcal per 100 grams
- Cheddar (reduced fat) - 260 kcal per 100 grams
- Cheese spreads -270 kcal per 100 grams
- Cottage cheese (low fat) - 80 kcal per 100 grams
- Cottage cheese - 98 kcal per 100 grams
- Cream cheese - 428 kcal per 100 grams
Other foods will vary depending on the cooking method you use. For example, eggs average around 90 kcal each - but if you fry them this will increase to around 120 kcal because of the oil or fat you cook them in.
Thus choosing the type of dairy that you eat, and how you cook it, will make a difference to how it affects your waistline.
