What You Might Not Have Realized About Dairy Queen's Cheese Curds

The fact that cheese isn't defined as "an edible version of heaven" is nothing short of a disgrace. Scientists need to find a way to allow cheese to simply be absorbed by our bodies, drawing it in with unbreakable gravitational strength. That way, our stuffed stomachs will never be able to resist all the cheesy goodness.

Given its name, it's not surprising that Dairy Queen has invested in the deep-fried delights of cheese. An exquisite display of cheesy expression are the company's cheese curds, which Dairy Queen's website describes as fried chunks of battered, melted, and "poppable" cheese. Cue an array of yummy, gooey mouth explosions.

Insatiable cravings for cheese are the result of glutamate and fat contents contained within, which, despite being outrageously craved by the brain, do not actually make cheese addictive (as BBC Science Focus Magazine makes abundantly clear). Perhaps these unquenchable desires are why Dairy Queen continues to feature cheese curds on its menu — and they are certainly not short of fat.

Although cheese does have some nutritional benefits (such as being a source of calcium, protein, and vitamins A and B12, according to Harvard School of Public Health), the deep-fried cheesy bites served by Dairy Queen are unlikely to be brimming with healthiness. In fact, according to Dairy Queen's nutrition report, a regular portion of its cheese curds contains 34 grams of fat, while a large is packed with 67 grams — using up almost all of the 77-gram daily allowance recommended for a 2,000-calorie diet (via Livestrong).

Salt is a concern, too. Dairy Queen's nutrition report shows that sodium levels in its cheese curds vary between 990 milligrams (regular portion) and 1,960 milligrams (large). The CDC urges Americans to consume less than 2,300 milligrams of salt a day, so Dairy Queen's cheese curds really take a bite out of that.

Calories are a similar story. The USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans detail that women generally require no more than 2,400 calories a day, while for men the figure is 3,000. A regular size of Dairy Queen's cheese curds will use up 500 of those calories, while a large devours 1,000 (according to the company's nutrition data).