Goat Cheese vs. Mozzarella — Nutrition and Health Impacts

Taste and Flavor

Mozzarella has a fresh and milky taste. At the first bite, you will experience a sweet taste and creamy texture. It has a soft and moist texture when it's fresh mozzarella. There is also aged mozzarella that is dryer than fresh mozzarella, which has a nuttier and stronger flavor. 

In comparison, goat cheese has a tangy and earthier taste. It is stronger and bolder in profile. Often, goat cheese can be aged and fed specific diets that give it a peculiar taste.  

Different Types

Goat cheese and mozzarella are available in different types. 

For goat cheese, we have:

• Fresh Goat Cheese (Chevre)
• Bucheron
• Crottin
• Pouligny-Saint-Pierre
• Valençay
• Garrotxa
• Manchego (when made from goat's milk)
• Caprino
• Raw Goat's Milk Cheese

Mozzarella cheese also has different types: 

• Low-Moisture content Mozzarella
•  Fresh Mozzarella 
• Buffalo Mozzarella
• Smoked Mozzarella
• Burrata

Calories

Goat cheese is higher in calories than mozzarella. It has 364 calories, whereas mozzarella has 280 calories. 

There are 1.3 times more calories in goat cheese than in mozzarella. 

Carbs

Goat cheese has negligible carbs, whereas mozzarella is slightly higher in carbs—3.1 grams. 

Usually, during the mozzarella-making process, most of the lactose gets removed; however, some remains. We will discuss lactose intolerance in the health section. 

Glycemic Index

Goat cheese has a glycemic index equal to 0. Meanwhile, mozzarella has a glycemic index of 27. 

Oxalate Content

The oxalate content of goat cheese is equal to 0. Similarly, the oxalate content of mozzarella is equal to 0.

Protein

Mozzarella is much richer in protein than goat cheese. It contains 27.5g of protein, whereas goat cheese contains 21.5g. This difference between mozzarella and goat cheese is significant. 

Fats

Goat cheese is mainly composed of fat, and its higher fat content results in higher calories. 

There are 1.8 more fats in goat cheese compared to mozzarella. 

Goat cheese contains 30g of fat, whereas mozzarella contains 17g. This difference is highly significant. 

When it comes to the subtypes of fats, the ratio between the different types of fats—saturated, monounsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat—is the same. The majority of fat in both these cheeses is saturated fat. 

Goat cheese contains 20g of saturated fats, which is double the amount that is present in mozzarella—10g. 

Cholesterol

Mozzarella contains lower amounts of cholesterol. 

Minerals

Goat cheese is richer in copper, iron, and manganese. Mozzarella is richer in phosphorus, calcium, zinc, and selenium.

The most crucial difference is the sodium amount. Goat cheese is higher in sodium salt. 

Below, we can visualize their mineral distributions. 

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.

Goat cheese

5

Mozzarella

5

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+11.5%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+66.3%
Contains more IronIron	+548%
Contains more CopperCopper	+1988.9%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+∞%

Contains more CalciumCalcium	+145.3%
Contains more ZincZinc	+374.2%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+39.7%
Contains less SodiumSodium	-96.1%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+313.2%

Vitamins

Goat cheese is richer in vitamins B2, B3, vitamin A, and vitamin D. In comparison, mozzarella is richer in vitamin B12. 

Below, we can visualize their vitamin distributions. 

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.

Goat cheese

8

Mozzarella

4

Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+183.2%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E	+73.3%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D	+66.7%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+260%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+98.8%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+856.7%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+38.9%

Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+33.3%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12	+318.2%
Contains more FolateFolate	+350%
Contains more CholineCholine	+19.5%

~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg

You can read about feta vs. ricotta in this article. 

Cardiovascular Health

A randomized control trial comparing goat cheese and goat cheese enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids showcased that both types had positive health impacts, and even the PUFA-enriched cheese decreased cardiovascular disease risks more. However, as we deep dive, we can see that the individuals were on a hypocaloric diet, provided an exercise regimen, and were overall more active and eating better than before the study (1). 

Yet, we can compare goat cheese and mozzarella. Mozzarella is the better option. It is lower in fats, especially saturated fatty acids, and it is also lower in sodium, which translates into better cardiovascular outcomes compared to goat cheese (2). 

Overall, there is a decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases with the consumption of mozzarella cheese (3). 

Digestive Health

Mozzarella contains lactose, even though it is smaller in quantities since most of it is removed during cheese-making. However, some remain, and for lactose-intolerant individuals, this might cause bloating and diarrhea (4). 

In comparison, goat cheese gets fermented, and the carbohydrates in it are processed by the microbiota added during the cheese making. It still contains a small amount of lactose; however, goat's cheese is more digestible for people with lactose intolerance (5). 

Cancer

Goat cheese is not associated with any type of cancer but with anti-carcinogenic activity in leukemia. More research on this topic would conclude these notions (6). 

Nonfermented dairy, such as mozzarella, is negatively associated with developing colorectal cancer (7).