American cheese calories come to 75 for one 20.6 g slice and 366 per 100 g. Fat supplies 75% of those calories, and sodium is the number that climbs fastest: a single slice carries 342 mg, 15% of the daily value, before you count the bread or burger it sits on.
75kcal
1 slice · 20 g, pasteurized process
20%protein
3.7 gProtein
1 gCarbs
6.3 gFat
How to burn off 75 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Pasteurized process · per 20 g
Calories
75 kcal
Protein
3.7 g
Carbohydrate
1.1 g
Fat
6.3 g
Saturated fat
3.7 g
Cholesterol
20 mg
Sodium
342 mg
Potassium
31 mg
Iron
0.1 mg
Source: USDA FoodData Central
🛡️
Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified September 2026. How we verify our data →
American cheese: calories, protein and sodium by serving
Percent of daily value uses the FDA reference of 2,000 kcal a day.
Serving
kcal
Protein
Carbs
Fat
Sodium
% DV kcal
1 slice (20.6 g)
75
3.7 g
1.1 g
6.3 g
342 mg
4%
Deli slice (28 g)
102
5 g
1.5 g
8.6 g
465 mg
5%
Low fat slice (21 g)
38
5.2 g
0.7 g
1.5 g
376 mg
2%
100 g
366
18 g
5.3 g
30.6 g
1,660 mg
18%
3 × 1 slice (20.6 g)
226
11.1 g
1,026 mg
5 × 1 slice (20.6 g)
377
18.5 g
1,710 mg
Two slices are a 151-calorie add-on
A standard 20.6 g slice holds 75 calories, 3.7 g protein and 6.3 g fat. Thicker deli slices weigh 28 g and land at 102 calories, so a slice cut at the counter adds about a third more than a wrapped single. Check which one you are actually eating before you log it.
Stacking moves the total in a straight line. Two slices come to 151 calories and 684 mg sodium. Three reach 226 calories and 1,026 mg. Five slices, about 103 g, hit 377 calories and 1,710 mg sodium, which is more than a full 100 g serving's worth.
The calorie hit per slice is modest, at 4% of the daily value. The real swing comes from how many slices end up on a sandwich, a burger or a grilled cheese. If you build a double-decker, count each slice, not each sandwich. That habit alone keeps the log honest.
Fat is three quarters of every calorie
Per 100 g, American cheese carries 30.6 g fat, 18 g protein and 5.3 g carbs. Fat supplies 75% of the calories, protein 20% and carbs only 6%. That makes it a fat food that happens to contain protein, not a protein food.
Saturated fat is most of that fat, at 18.1 g per 100 g. Cholesterol sits at 98 mg per 100 g. Carbs barely register, at 1.1 g per slice, so a slice fits low-carb eating with no adjustment.
Protein is real but small per slice. One slice gives 3.7 g, 7% of the daily value, and two give 7.4 g. If protein is your reason for adding cheese, the low fat slice does more of the job per calorie. A regular slice is there mostly for flavor and melt, and it is worth logging that way.
Sodium is the row to watch
At 1,660 mg per 100 g, American cheese is a salty food: 100 g covers 72% of the daily value. A single slice brings 342 mg, or 15%, and a deli slice 465 mg, or 20%.
Set that against its calorie share. One slice is 4% of daily calories but 15% of daily sodium, so sodium runs out long before calories do. Three slices pass 1,026 mg before you count bread, deli meat or pickles.
If you watch sodium, the cheese is rarely the only source on the plate. Pair it with fresh vegetables or fruit rather than chips or cured meat, and keep the slice count low. Potassium is modest, at 149 mg per 100 g, so the label offers little on the other side of the ledger.
The low fat slice is about half the calories
The low fat version changes the math. A 21 g low fat slice has 38 calories, 1.5 g fat and 5.2 g protein, against 75 calories, 6.3 g fat and 3.7 g protein for a regular 20.6 g slice. Same size, about half the calories, more protein.
Sodium does not drop with it. The low fat slice carries 376 mg, 16% of the daily value, slightly more than the regular slice's 342 mg. Swapping saves calories and fat, not salt.
Brands such as Kraft Singles, Boar's Head and Great Lakes Cheese sell several versions, and slice weights differ, so check the package before you log. BodyPal can log a slice from a photo, which helps when the cheese is already melted into a sandwich.
How does american cheese compare?
Here is American cheese next to shredded cheese, colby jack and string cheese, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For the fewest calories per 100 g, string cheese wins at 295 against 366 for American, with 23.8 g protein and less than half the sodium at 666 mg. Keep American for melt on a burger, and treat colby jack at 393 per 100 g as the denser pick where portion size matters even more.
Most popular american cheese brands in the United States
Ranked by popularity in the BodyPal database
# Productkcal / 100 g
1Boar's Head American Cheese2 slices · 28 g393 kcal
2Kraft American Cheese1 slice · 19 g368 kcal
3Haolam American Cheese1 slice · 19 g368 kcal
4Finlandia American Cheese1 slice · 28 g393 kcal
5Kraft Singles American Cheese Slices1 slice · 21 g333 kcal
6Red Apple Cheese American Cheese1 slice · 22 g409 kcal
7Kraft White American Cheese1 slice · 19 g368 kcal
Label numbers run from 333 to 409 calories per 100 g because deli cut American cheese is denser and drier than a processed single, which is the 366 figure above. Source: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
American cheese FAQs
How many calories are in a slice of American cheese?
A standard 20.6 g processed slice is about 75 calories. A thicker 1 oz deli slice (28 g) comes to about 102 calories.
Is American cheese good for weight loss?
One slice adds 75 calories, 6.3 g fat and 3.7 g protein. A low fat slice (21 g) is 38 calories with 1.5 g fat and 5.2 g protein.
American cheese vs shredded cheese: which has more calories?
American cheese is 366 calories per 100 g and shredded cheese 304, so American cheese is the higher of the two by 62 calories per 100 g.
How much protein and sodium are in American cheese?
Per 100 g it has 18 g protein and 1660 mg sodium, so one 20.6 g slice gives about 3.7 g protein and 342 mg sodium.
How many calories are in two slices of American cheese?
Two slices of American cheese have 151 calories. That pair, about 41 g, also brings 7.4 g protein and 684 mg sodium, so the salt adds up faster than the calories do.
How much does a slice of American cheese weigh?
A standard slice of American cheese weighs 20.6 g and has 75 calories. Deli-cut slices are thicker at 28 g and 102 calories, and a low fat slice weighs 21 g with 38 calories.
How many carbs are in American cheese?
American cheese has 5.3 g carbs per 100 g and 1.1 g per slice. Carbs supply only 6% of its calories, while fat supplies 75%, so it suits low-carb eating.
How many calories are in 1 oz of American cheese?
A 28 g deli slice of American cheese, the same weight as 1 oz, has 102 calories. It also carries 5 g protein, 8.6 g fat and 465 mg sodium, 20% of the daily value.
What is the nutrition breakdown of one slice of American cheese?
One 20.6 g slice has 75 calories, 3.7 g protein, 1.1 g carbs, 6.3 g fat and 342 mg sodium. That covers 4% of daily calories and 15% of daily sodium.
