Know2eat

Queso fresco

What queso fresco has been studied for

1 association assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.

  • 1 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About queso fresco

A soft, unaged white cheese made by acid or rennet coagulation and eaten within days. It crumbles rather than melts, because the curd is not stretched or cheddared and the protein network stays loose.

Also known as Fresh Mexican cheese, Queso blanco, Farmer cheese

Muscle & Physical Performance

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Insufficient

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Muscle protein synthesis

Muscle & Physical Performance
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited for fresh cheese specifically. It supplies complete casein protein, but no trial has tested queso fresco, and the dairy protein research is on milk, whey and casein isolates.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Queso fresco

Ask about Queso fresco

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories299 kcal15%
Protein18.1 g36%
Total fat23.8 g31%
Carbohydrate2.98 g1%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars2.32 g—
Water51.4 g—
Fats
Saturated fat12.9 g65%
Monounsaturated fat5.97 g—
Polyunsaturated fat1.11 g—
Cholesterol69 mg23%
ALA (omega-3)0.099 g—
EPA (omega-3)0.0080 g—
DHA (omega-3)0.0030 g—
DPA (omega-3)0.015 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.887 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A224 µg25%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D2.7 µg14%
Vitamin E0.37 mg2%
Vitamin K1 µg1%
Thiamin (B1)0.042 mg4%
Riboflavin (B2)0.173 mg13%
Niacin (B3)0.027 mg0%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.358 mg7%
Vitamin B60.076 mg4%
Folate7 µg2%
Vitamin B121.68 µg70%
Choline12.5 mg2%
Minerals
Calcium566 mg44%
Iron0.2 mg1%
Magnesium24 mg6%
Phosphorus385 mg31%
Potassium129 mg3%
Sodium751 mg33%
Zinc2.58 mg23%
Copper0.033 mg4%
Manganese0.014 mg1%
Selenium19.3 µg35%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene41 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin3 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash3.68 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Cheese, fresh, queso fresco (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 172223).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Hispanic-style fresh cheese and Listeria

    Fresh soft cheeses of this type have been repeatedly identified in Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks in North America, particularly when made from unpasteurised milk or produced informally. Pregnancy guidance names them specifically; the safe version is made with pasteurised milk under commercial control, or cooked until steaming hot.

  • Allergy

    Cow milk protein allergy

    A major regulated allergen, present in full in unaged cheese.

  • Worth knowing

    Lactose retained

    Unaged cheese has had no time for bacteria to consume its lactose, so it is a poorer choice than hard cheese for people with lactose intolerance.