Gruyere cheese vs. Gouda cheese — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Classification

Gouda is a Dutch cheese named after the town of Gouda.

Gruyere cheese has its roots in Switzerland. 

Gouda is typically produced from pasteurized cow's milk, while sometimes it is made from sheep's or goat's milk to produce long-aged cheeses. Unlike it, gruyere cheese is made from unpasteurized cow's milk.

Gouda can mature from 4 weeks to over 12 months, resulting in vastly different outcomes. Gruyere cheese, on the other hand, is often aged for six months or more.

Appearance

 The gouda cheese itself is a deep yellow color. Young gouda cheese has yellow, orange, or red wax rinds, and mature white cheese has black wax coverings.

Gruyere cheese is pale yellow with a natural, rusty brown rind. On the other hand, it has a few holes, or "eyes," characteristic of Swiss cheese, produced by gas bubbles released by the bacteria used in the cheese's production. 

Unlike gouda cheese, which is semi-hard, gruyere cheese is hard. 

Taste and Use

The taste of gouda cheese and gruyere cheese mostly depends on the aging process during cheese-making. Flavors get stronger as they mature.

Gouda cheese typically has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. In contrast, Gruyere cheese is known for its rich, creamy, and salty taste.

The taste and texture of younger Gouda cheeses are soft and nearly sweet, while younger Gruyere cheese has a milder, grassier flavor.

The older Gouda cheeses become firmer, stronger, and darker, taking on a buttery and nutty flavor, while mature Gruyere has a sharper character.

You may include both in your cheese board.

Gouda cheese goes well with beer and slightly sweet rye bread, whereas gruyere cheese goes well with white, red, and rose wines.

Macronutrients and Calories

Compared to gouda cheese, gruyere has 10% higher protein and 8% higher fats per 100g.

On the other hand, gouda is higher in water. While Gouda contains 41.5g of water, gruyere contains 33.1g. 

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison

Gruyere cheese

3

Protein: 29.81 g

Fats: 32.34 g

Carbs: 0.36 g

Water: 33.19 g

Other: 4.3 g

Gouda cheese

2

Protein: 24.94 g

Fats: 27.44 g

Carbs: 2.22 g

Water: 41.46 g

Other: 3.94 g

Contains more ProteinProtein	+19.5%
Contains more FatsFats	+17.9%

Contains more CarbsCarbs	+516.7%
Contains more WaterWater	+24.9%

~equal in Other ~3.94g

Calories

Both of these types of cheese are high-calorie foods; however, gruyere cheese is higher in calories. 

A 100g serving of gouda cheese contains 356 calories, while the same serving size of gruyere cheese provides 413 calories.

Protein

Gruyere cheese is slightly higher in protein (29.8 g in 100 g) compared to gouda cheese (24.9 g in 100 g). Both are high in all essential amino acids. However, gruyere is richer in all essential amino acids.

Fats

Gruyere cheese contains more fats than gouda cheese. Gruyere is 2.5 times richer in polyunsaturated fats.

Compared to gruyere cheese, which has 110 mg of cholesterol, gouda has 114 mg per 100g.

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Gruyere cheese

2

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 18.913 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 10.043 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.733 g

Gouda cheese

1

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 17.614 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 7.747 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.657 g

Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat	+29.6%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat	+163.8%

~equal in Saturated Fat ~17.614g

Carbohydrates

Gouda cheese has a higher sugar content. In contrast to gruyere cheese, which has only 0.36g of sugar, gouda has 2.22g.

However, both are low in carbohydrates.

Gouda cheese and gruyere cheese do not contain dietary fiber.

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Gruyere cheese

0

Gouda cheese

0

Vitamins

Gouda cheese is richer in vitamin B2 and folate (vitamin B9). 

Gruyere cheese, on the other hand, contains higher levels of vitamin B5 and vitamin A.

Gouda cheese and gruyere cheese contain similar amounts of vitamin B6, vitamin K, and vitamin D. Both of them are entirely absent in vitamin C.

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Gruyere cheese

7

Gouda cheese

2

Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+68.4%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E	+16.7%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D	+20%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+100%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+68.3%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+65.3%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+17.4%

Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+19.7%
Contains more FolateFolate	+110%

~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin B6 ~0.08mg

~equal in Vitamin B12 ~1.54µg

~equal in Choline ~15.4mg

Minerals

Gouda cheese is 1,5 times higher in potassium than gruyere cheese. At the same time, gruyere cheese contains more calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. 

Compared to gouda cheese, which has 700 mg of calcium, gruyere cheese has 1011 mg. Gruyere cheese is also lower in sodium. 

Both food items are equal in their zinc, selenium, copper, and choline contents.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Gruyere cheese

4

Gouda cheese

3

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+24.1%
Contains more CalciumCalcium	+44.4%
Contains less SodiumSodium	-12.8%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+54.5%

Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+49.4%
Contains more IronIron	+41.2%
Contains more CopperCopper	+12.5%

~equal in Zinc ~3.9mg

~equal in Phosphorus ~546mg

~equal in Selenium ~14.5µg

Glycemic Index

There are no particular glycemic index values established for gouda and gruyere cheese. Due to the low-carb content of cheeses, they are classified as low glycemic index foods.

Acidity

Both of them are acidic. Gouda cheese has a typical pH value of 5,1 to 5,4.

Gruyere cheese has a pH value of 5,5 to 5,7.

An alternative way of measuring the acidity of foods is the potential renal acid load (PRAL). The PRAL value of peanut butter is 20 (acidic). 

The PRAL value of hummus is 21.2 (acidic).

Cardiovascular Health

Due to gouda's high sodium level, gruyere may be a preferable alternative for persons with hypertension. However, gouda has a higher potassium content, which is also proven to lower blood pressure(1). In addition, gouda also has some bioactive peptides with anti-hypertensive activities(2). 

Gruyere cheese, on the other hand, contains more calcium, which is proven to help regulate blood pressure.

Overall, according to another meta-analysis, low-fat cheeses may protect against stroke or coronary heart disease (CHD) incidence(3). 

Diabetes

According to this meta-analysis, there is an inverse association between low-fat dairy products and cheese consumption with the risk of type 2 diabetes(4). 

Results of the other study suggested that Gouda cheese may play a function in preventing cardiovascular illnesses and diabetic complications(2).

Digestive Health

Both are safe for galactosemia patients to eat because they have less than 25 mg of galactose per 100 grams(5). 

Cardiovascular Health

 As mentioned above, gouda cheese contains more sodium. It is associated with increased blood pressure, which is one of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease(6). 

Unlike gouda cheese, gruyere contains more phosphorus. Higher phosphorus concentrations, on the other hand, were correlated to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease events(7). 

Allergy

Lactose may be present in small amounts in gouda cheese and gruyere cheese. However, gouda cheese may contain more lactose than gruyere cheese. That might be unsafe for lactose-intolerant people(8). 

Cancer

Gouda cheese and gruyere cheese have both been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, even though cheese consumption can be preventive against several types of cancer. But in comparison to gouda cheese, gruyere cheese has a higher risk(9).