Is Babybel a healthy cheese?

Babybel is one of the best known cheeses for children. However, its high protein content has made adults return to consuming it regularly. But is it really a healthy cheese?

Babybel may not be the best choice if you are looking for a low fat one (around 5 grams per mini Babybel), unless you opt for the Light (blue) version. It is also not low in sodium (about 150 mg per mini Babybel). Each Babybel has 60 to 70 calories. This can still fit into the low calorie category, as long as we are careful about how much we eat.

On the plus side, Babybel is guaranteed to be low in sugar and high in calcium and protein. Those who avoid highly processed foods may worry less about eating Babybel because it is 98 percent milk and contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

Nutritional value

Mini Babybels are essentially small versions of Edam cheese . Edam, which is of Dutch origin, is a semi-hard cheese that has mild notes of sweet grass and some mild dried fruit. Although Edam cannot be described as hot or tart in most cases, Baybel cheeses certainly are. The taste is a bit overpowering, almost bitter. The Original is always a good option, but the new versions can be even better.

To find out if Babybel really is a healthy cheese, the most important thing is to analyze its ingredients and nutrients. In this case, all types and versions contain the same components, although the proportions in each of them are not known. Therefore, Babybel is made from ” pasteurized cow’s milk, water, salt, lactic ferments and microbial milk coagulant “. A short list of ingredients suggests the good quality of the product.

As for the nutritional values, for each portion of Babybel cheese it provides:

  • Energy value: 62 calories
  • Fat: 4.8 grams
    • Of which saturated: 3.2 grams
  • Carbohydrates: 0.5 grams
    • Of which sugars: 0.5 grams
  • Protein: 4.6 grams
  • Salt: 0.36 grams
  • Calcium: 140mg

babybel saludable

Can you eat Babybel wax?

The red paraffin wax that coats each cheese is used to protect the cheese from airborne bacteria, mold growth, and drying out as it ages. Coating cheese with food-grade wax is often used on hard and semi-hard cheeses that only need a few months to age.

This red cape is not exclusive to Babybel. You’ll also see it in cheeses like Dutch Edam, often used to preserve cheeses for export or for tourists who want to take them home.

The Babybel factories use a patented machine made specifically by the company to quickly encase each cheese in the red wax. However, for artisanal cheesemakers who perform this process manually, what they do is melt the wax of the cheese and apply it with a brush on the dry and refrigerated cheese. They also dip each side of the cheese into a pot of melted wax.

However, we are not supposed to eat the wax . The red wax is there to keep the cheese inside moist, and must first be removed by pulling on the tab before eating the cheese. If we have accidentally eaten a little, nothing happens. The paraffin-based red wax coating is food grade and won’t hurt us, maybe just the taste buds.

Types of Babybel

Despite being a classic cheese, there are several versions that make it have different nutritional values. However, its flavor does not change.

Original

The original Babybel is the classic with a red cover and a round shape. It is available in mini or giant size. It is one of the few versions that resist the passage of time, since its shape and flavor have not needed to be improved.

Light

The Babybel light or light is a low-fat option. It is understood that skimmed or low-fat milk has been used during the production process. In fact, the contribution of this nutrient is reduced by almost half. This also makes the calories lower. However, it is rich in protein.

It remains one of the best Babybels on the market, as it does not need a high fat intake to take advantage of the protein values ​​of this healthy cheese.

mini rolls

The ingredients and nutritional values ​​do not vary too much when compared to the original Babybel. The big difference is the presentation mode, since it goes from being round to being eaten in strips.

The taste and quality is the same, only the visual way has been changed. The format of the container is also round, but when we open it we see the cheese in spiral-shaped strips.

Black

Black babybel is not usually easy to find. This version is rich in protein, although they really only differ from 3 more grams of this macronutrient. However, the rest of the nutrients are slightly lower, so less fat and calories are consumed.

It is a type created for athletes and for people who want to increase the protein dose in their diet. The purpose may be to gain weight, improve muscle mass, or create more satiety with fewer calories.