Feta cheese is one of the higher-sodium cheeses you can buy. A single ounce contains roughly 260 to 316 milligrams of sodium, which is about 11 to 14 percent of the recommended daily limit of 2,300 milligrams for adults. That doesn’t make it off-limits, but it does mean feta deserves some attention if you’re watching your salt intake.
How Feta Compares to Other Cheeses
Feta’s sodium comes from the brine it’s stored in. That salt-water bath is what gives feta its tangy flavor and crumbly texture, but it also pushes the sodium count well above most common cheeses. Here’s how a 1-ounce serving stacks up:
- Feta: 260–316 mg sodium
- Cheddar: 185 mg sodium
- Mozzarella (whole milk): 178 mg sodium
- Soft goat cheese: 130 mg sodium
- Swiss: 53 mg sodium
Feta has roughly 40 percent more sodium than cheddar and nearly double that of soft goat cheese. Swiss cheese, at just 53 mg per ounce, sits at the opposite end of the spectrum. If sodium is your primary concern and you want a lower-salt option, Swiss or goat cheese will get you much further.
Why One Ounce Matters More Than You Think
One ounce of feta is about the size of four dice or a small handful of crumbles. That’s a reasonable amount for topping a salad. But feta is easy to overdo, especially when you’re crumbling it freely over a bowl or stuffing it into a wrap. Two ounces puts you somewhere around 520 to 630 mg of sodium from cheese alone, which is more than a quarter of your daily budget before you account for bread, dressing, canned beans, or anything else in the meal.
The federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans set the daily sodium ceiling at 2,300 mg for anyone 14 and older. Most Americans already exceed that number on a typical day. So while feta isn’t the worst offender in your diet, it can add up quickly alongside other salted ingredients.
A Simple Trick to Reduce Feta’s Sodium
Rinsing feta under cold water for 15 to 30 seconds before eating it washes away a noticeable amount of surface salt. Soaking it in plain water or milk for 30 minutes to an hour pulls even more sodium out. This won’t cut the sodium in half, but it can take the edge off without dramatically changing the flavor. You’ll still get feta’s characteristic tang, just with a milder, less salty bite.
What Feta Offers Beyond Salt
Sodium aside, feta packs a surprisingly strong nutritional punch for a soft cheese. That same 1-ounce serving delivers around 4 to 5 grams of protein and 14 percent of your daily calcium needs. It’s also a good source of phosphorus, zinc, selenium, riboflavin, and several B vitamins.
The calcium and phosphorus combination is particularly useful. Consuming these two minerals together has been linked to improved bone density and lower risk of osteoporosis. Feta actually contains more calcium per serving than many harder cheeses, which is not something most people expect from a cheese that feels so light and crumbly. Research also suggests that the protein and calcium in feta may help with blood sugar regulation, potentially lowering the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
In other words, feta isn’t empty calories with salt on top. It’s a nutrient-dense food that happens to carry more sodium than its peers because of how it’s made and stored.
Who Should Be Most Careful
If you have high blood pressure, kidney disease, or heart failure, sodium from any source matters more. For these conditions, many doctors recommend staying well below the 2,300 mg ceiling, sometimes as low as 1,500 mg per day. At that level, a single ounce of feta represents roughly 17 to 21 percent of your entire daily allowance, which is a significant chunk from one ingredient.
For people without sodium-sensitive conditions, feta in moderate amounts is perfectly reasonable. Sticking to about an ounce per serving, rinsing when possible, and balancing the rest of your meal with lower-sodium ingredients keeps things in check. Feta’s strong flavor actually works in your favor here: because it’s so salty and tangy, a little goes a long way, and you’re less likely to pile it on the way you might with a milder cheese like mozzarella.