Structured Nutritional Data & Citations
Nutritional Profile: Gouda Cheese
This report provides a detailed nutritional and physical characterization of Gouda cheese, a semi-hard Dutch cheese traditionally made from cow's milk.
1. Macronutrient and Caloric Analysis
Per 100g Serving
| Nutrient | Amount | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 356 | kcal |
| Protein | 24.9 | g |
| Carbohydrates | 2.2 | g |
| - Sugars (Lactose) | ~0.5-2.0 | g |
| Fat | 27.4 | g |
| - Saturated Fat | 17.5 | g |
| - Monounsaturated Fat | 7.5 | g |
| - Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.8 | g |
| Cholesterol | 80 | mg |
Per Standard Serving (28g / 1 oz)
| Nutrient | Amount | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 100 | kcal |
| Protein | 7.0 | g |
| Carbohydrates | 0.6 | g |
| - Sugars (Lactose) | ~0.1-0.6 | g |
| Fat | 7.7 | g |
| - Saturated Fat | 4.9 | g |
| - Monounsaturated Fat | 2.1 | g |
| - Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.2 | g |
| Cholesterol | 22 | mg |
2. Key Micronutrients (Per 100g)
Vitamins
- Vitamin A (RAE): ~260 µg (29% Daily Value)
- Vitamin B12: ~1.2 µg (50% Daily Value)
- Riboflavin (B2): ~0.3 mg (23% Daily Value)
- Vitamin D: ~0.4 µg (2% Daily Value)
Minerals
- Calcium: ~700 mg (54% Daily Value)
- Phosphorus: ~500 mg (40% Daily Value)
- Sodium: ~650 mg (28% Daily Value)
- Zinc: ~2.9 mg (26% Daily Value)
- Selenium: ~14 µg (25% Daily Value)
Antioxidants
- Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA): Present, levels vary with animal diet (e.g., grass-fed milk).
- Peptides: Bioactive peptides released during proteolysis contribute to antioxidant activity and other health benefits.
3. Functional Impact
- Glycemic Index (GI): Very Low (~20-30). Gouda is primarily fat and protein, with minimal digestible carbohydrates, leading to a negligible impact on blood glucose.
- Glycemic Load (GL): Very Low (<1 per standard serving).
- Satiety Score: High. The combination of high fat and protein content contributes significantly to satiety, promoting fullness and potentially reducing subsequent caloric intake.
4. Physical Properties
- Density (Firm Gouda): Approximately 1.05 - 1.10 g/cm³ at 20°C. This can vary based on moisture content and age.
- Behavior During Heating/Melting:
- Melting Point: ~60-65°C (140-149°F).
- Texture Change: Melts smoothly and evenly, developing a creamy, slightly stretchy consistency. It exhibits good melt characteristics suitable for culinary applications (e.g., gratins, sandwiches).
- Oiling Off: Relatively low compared to some higher-fat cheeses; it maintains structural integrity without excessive fat separation.
- Volume Apparent Change: While mass remains constant, melted Gouda spreads and covers a larger surface area, giving an impression of increased volume.
5. Citations & References
- USDA FoodData Central. (n.d.). Cheese, Gouda. FDC ID: 2057773. Retrieved from https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/2057773/nutrients
- Foster, L. (2018). The Cheese Course. Dorling Kindersley Limited. (General reference for cheese characteristics and melting properties).
- Brand-Miller, J.C., Wolever, T.M.S., Colagiuri, S., Foster-Powell, K. (1995). The New Glucose Revolution. Marlowe & Company. (For glycemic index consensus on dairy products).
Field Notes: Dr. Aria Vance
Subject: Gouda
Focus: Volumetric expansion/contraction, historical context, tracking challenges.
Why Gouda Is Difficult to Track
Dr. Aria Vance, Lead Nutrition Data Scientist, NutriSnap
The venerable Gouda. A staple. A marvel. From the Dutch city it hails, with its characteristic yellow rind (or red for younger, paraffin-waxed wheels, if we’re being precise), this cheese carries centuries of delicious history in every bite. It’s comforting. It’s versatile. And it’s, frankly, a nightmare for manual nutritional tracking.
Think about it. A cheese of such heritage, originally a trade commodity, crafted with such care. Its aging process alone introduces complexities. A young Gouda? Creamy, mild, pliable. Easy to slice. An aged Gouda? Harder, nuttier, with those delightful little tyrosine crystals that crunch ever so subtly. A completely different beast! You eat less of the aged stuff, usually. A mere sliver. But a young Gouda, you can just keep piling it on a cracker. Your hand, that unconscious portioning mechanism, has no idea it's dealing with two nutritionally distinct items, even if the macros for 100g are technically similar. The behavioral intake is wildly divergent.
Then there's the serving conundrum. Do you slice it? Thick? Thin? Do you grate it over a pasta dish, those fluffy, airy tendrils seemingly taking up half the bowl? A cup of shredded Gouda is not the same mass as a cup of diced Gouda. Not even close. Density changes. Perception warps. A common error.
Or the melted application! Grilled cheese. A quesadilla. The Gouda spreads, it stretches, it becomes one with the bread. That generous slice you laid down initially now covers twice the perceived area. Your brain screams "more!" but your scale, if you even bothered to use one before melting, tells a different story. And who weighs a slice of cheese before it melts into the bread? Nobody. That's who. Unless you're me, trapped in the lab.
Barcodes? Useless. That artisanal Gouda from the farmer's market, or even the deli counter, doesn't have a scannable label. Even if it did, it wouldn't account for the rind you trim off (how much? Varies!), or the specific age of the cheese influencing its moisture content and thus true caloric density. Manual entry? A shot in the dark. A guessing game. We're asking people to play nutritional roulette every single time they enjoy a simple, ancient food. It’s tedious. It's error-prone. It's frustrating enough to make anyone throw their fitness tracker across the room.
We need better. We demand precision. That's why NutriSnap exists. This is where forensic visual analysis truly shines. Our AI doesn't care if it's young or aged, sliced or shredded, melted or firm. It sees the volume, it analyzes the texture, it discerns the characteristics. It understands. Just a snap, and suddenly, the mystery of the Gouda's true contribution to your daily intake is solved. Finally, a solution for the discerning cheese lover.
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