How many calories are in Cheez Whiz?
Two tablespoons of Cheez Whiz, the standard ladle over a cheesesteak, come to 91 calories, and the jar runs 276 calories per 100 g. That is ordinary cheese density. The number that should stop you is the sodium: 541 mg in those two spoons, roughly a quarter of a day's worth from a condiment.
You'd need to walk about 18 minutes to burn the 91 calories in a 2-tablespoon (33 g) serving.
How long does it take to burn off Cheez Whiz?
A 2-tablespoon (33 g) serving is 91 kcal. Enter your weight and the amount you ate to see how long it takes you to burn that off:
lb
| Activity | Time to burn 91 kcal |
|---|---|
| Walking, brisk | 18 min |
| Cycling, moderate | 11 min |
| Swimming, moderate | 13 min |
| Jogging | 11 min |
| Weight training, moderate | 20 min |
Times are for a 155 lb adult at a steady pace; change the weight to see yours. The amount is set to the portion in the text (33 g); change it to what you actually ate. BodyPal works this out from your steps automatically.
On this page
- Cheez Whiz quick facts
- US servings from one tablespoon to a full cup
- Cheez Whiz Light saves 16 calories
- Sodium is the row to watch
- How does Cheez Whiz compare?
- Most popular cheese whiz brands
- FAQ
Cheez Whiz quick facts
The numbers here come from the SR Legacy record 172209, "KRAFT CHEEZ WHIZ Pasteurized Process Cheese Sauce". That is the classic jar, the orange spread you scoop cold and warm in the microwave, and it is the product almost everyone means when they search for this. The Light version is a separate formula with its own record, so it gets its own section rather than being blended in.
The serving column below is the USDA household measure, 2 tablespoons or 33 g. It is a realistic amount for nachos or a hot dog and a small amount for a cheesesteak.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 2 tbsp (33 g) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 276 | 91 | — |
| Total fat | 21 g | 6.9 g | 9% |
| Saturated fat | 13.1 g | 4.3 g | 22% |
| Carbohydrate | 9.2 g | 3.0 g | 1% |
| Dietary fiber | 0.3 g | 0.1 g | 0% |
| Total sugars | 6.7 g | 2.2 g | — |
| Protein | 12 g | 4.0 g | 8% |
| Sodium | 1638 mg | 541 mg | 24% |
| Cholesterol | 75 mg | 25 mg | 8% |
| Potassium | 240 mg | 79 mg | 2% |
% Daily Value is based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
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 →
Two rows you will see on the jar are missing above. Added sugars and trans fat are not part of this SR Legacy entry at all, so they are left out rather than filled in from memory. The total sugars figure, 6.7 g per 100 g, is mostly lactose carried over from the milk and whey in the recipe, and total sugars have no Daily Value, which is why that cell is a dash. One more caveat worth knowing: SR Legacy is a 2018 snapshot, so a jar bought this week may carry a slightly reworked label even though the food is the same.
US servings from one tablespoon to a full cup
| Serving | Weight | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tbsp | 16.5 g | 46 kcal |
| 2 tbsp, the USDA serving | 33 g | 91 kcal |
| 1 oz | 28.4 g | 78 kcal |
| 1/4 cup | 66 g | 182 kcal |
| 1 cup | 264 g | 729 kcal |
| Per 100 g | 100 g | 276 kcal |
Only the 2-tablespoon line is a USDA household serving. The tablespoon, the ounce, the quarter cup and the cup are our own arithmetic from the USDA 100 g figure, scaled straight from 276 calories per 100 g, and rounded once at the end.
The trap in this food is the gap between a tablespoon and a ladle. Two tablespoons is a thin, even layer over a small plate of nachos. A cheesesteak counter uses a quarter cup or more, which is 182 calories and 1,082 mg of sodium before the roll, the steak or the oil enters the count. If you log Cheez Whiz by eye, you will almost always log it low, because it spreads and disappears into whatever is under it. Weighing the jar before and after is the fastest fix, and a tablespoon measure is the second fastest.
An ounce and 2 tablespoons are not the same thing here either. An ounce is 28.4 g and 78 calories, while the spoon measure is 33 g and 91. The spread is denser than water, so a volume measure and a weight measure part company by about 14%.
Cheez Whiz Light saves 16 calories
| Version | Per 100 g | Typical serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheez Whiz, regular jar | 276 kcal | 2 tbsp (33 g) | 91 kcal |
| Cheez Whiz Light | 215 kcal | 2 tbsp (35 g) | 75 kcal |
The Light jar is a different formula, not a diluted one: record 173446 is labeled a pasteurized process cheese product and carries 9.5 g of fat, 16.3 g of protein and 16.2 g of carbohydrate per 100 g, against 21 g, 12 g and 9.2 g in the regular jar. Fat comes out, protein and starch go in. Scaled to a 35 g serving by our own arithmetic from those 100 g figures, that is about 3.3 g of fat, 2.2 g of saturated fat, 5.7 g of protein and 5.7 g of carbohydrate.
So the swap buys you 16 calories per serving and about 4.3 g of extra protein per 100 g. What it does not buy you is a break on salt. Light runs 1,705 mg of sodium per 100 g against 1,638 mg in the regular jar, which works out to roughly 597 mg in a 35 g serving, more than the 541 mg in the regular 33 g one. If salt is the reason you are reading this page, the Light jar is the wrong lever.
Sodium is the row to watch
Saturated fat is the loud row on paper: 4.3 g in 2 tablespoons, 22% of the Daily Value, which is high for a spoonful of anything. But sodium is the one that changes how you use the jar. Two tablespoons deliver 541 mg, 24% of the FDA Daily Value of 2,300 mg, and 100 g would put you at 1,638 mg, or 71% of a day, from a single ingredient in a single dish.
For context, CDC puts average US intake well above that 2,300 mg mark already, mostly from packaged and restaurant food rather than the shaker. That does not make Cheez Whiz off limits. It does mean that if you are watching sodium, the honest move is to measure it rather than pour it, and to treat a quarter-cup serving as most of a lunch's salt budget.
The protein line is worth a second look too. Four grams in a serving is not nothing, but this is a sauce that behaves like cheese and does not deliver like cheese. MyPlate counts processed cheese sauces in the dairy group, and a spoonful will not carry a meal the way an ounce of a firm cheese does.
How does Cheez Whiz compare?
| Cheese | Per 100 g | US serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheez Whiz | 276 kcal | 2 tbsp (33 g) | 91 kcal |
| Provolone, reduced fat | 274 kcal | 1 oz (28.4 g) | 78 kcal |
| Mozzarella, low sodium | 280 kcal | 1 oz (28.4 g) | 80 kcal |
| Feta | 265 kcal | 1 oz (28.4 g) | 75 kcal |
Ounce for ounce, Cheez Whiz is a dead heat with reduced-fat provolone: both land at 78 calories. Of the four, only low-sodium mozzarella is denser per 100 g, and the whole group sits inside a 15-calorie band. Calories are not what separates these foods.
Our take: judge this one on protein and salt, not on the calorie count. Cheez Whiz gives 12 g of protein per 100 g, the lowest of the four and less than half of mozzarella's 27.5 g, while carrying more than twice the carbohydrate of any of them at 9.2 g. If you want the melt for a sandwich or a plate of nachos, measure two tablespoons and enjoy them. If you want cheese to do work in the meal, a real ounce of provolone or feta costs about the same calories and pays back far more.
Most popular cheese whiz brands in the United States
Ranked by how widely each product appears among foods sold in the United States, from the BodyPal food database of over 3.3 million products. Calories are the figures printed on each Nutrition Facts label, checked against USDA FoodData Central.
| Product | Calories (per 100 g) |
|---|---|
| Cheez Whiz Original Pasteurized Cheese Sauce | 250 cal |
| Cheez Whiz Original Cheese Dip | 242 cal |
| Cheez Whiz Sharp Cheddar Pasteurized Cheese Snack | 250 cal |
| Cheez Whiz Buffalo Cheddar Pasteurized Cheese Snack | 250 cal |
Brand popularity: BodyPal food database. Nutrition: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Cheez Whiz FAQs
How many calories are in Cheez Whiz?
Two tablespoons, the USDA household serving, hold 91 calories, and the sauce runs 276 calories per 100 grams. A single tablespoon is about 46 calories by our own arithmetic from that 100 gram figure. An ounce, if you weigh it, lands at 78 calories. The source is the SR Legacy record for Kraft Cheez Whiz.
How much sodium is in Cheez Whiz?
Two tablespoons carry 541 mg of sodium, 24% of the Daily Value, and 100 grams carry 1,638 mg, or 71%. Salt is the reason this spread is worth measuring rather than pouring. A quarter cup on a sandwich works out to about 1,082 mg by our arithmetic, closer to half a day.
Is Cheez Whiz real cheese?
USDA files it as a pasteurized process cheese sauce, and the protein shows why: 12 grams per 100 grams against 24.7 grams for reduced-fat provolone. It is built from cheese plus whey, milk and emulsifying salts, which is what keeps it pourable at room temperature and smooth when it is heated.
How many calories are in Cheez Whiz Light?
Cheez Whiz Light is 75 calories in a 2-tablespoon serving of 35 grams, against 91 for the regular jar, and 215 calories per 100 grams against 276. The saving is real but small, and sodium moves the other way: 1,705 mg per 100 grams in Light against 1,638 mg in the original.
How much protein is in Cheez Whiz?
Two tablespoons give 4.0 grams of protein, 8% of the Daily Value, from 12 grams per 100 grams. That is respectable for a condiment and thin for a cheese, since low-sodium mozzarella carries 27.5 grams per 100 grams. Treat the Whiz as a sauce rather than as the protein in your meal.
Does Cheez Whiz have carbs?
Two tablespoons hold 3.0 grams of carbohydrate, 1% of the Daily Value, of which 2.2 grams are total sugars carried over from the milk and whey. Per 100 grams that is 9.2 grams of carbohydrate and 6.7 grams of sugars. Fiber is 0.3 grams per 100 grams, effectively none in a serving.
How many calories are in a cup of Cheez Whiz?
One cup weighs about 264 grams and works out to 729 calories, our own arithmetic from the USDA 100 gram figure rather than a USDA serving. A quarter cup, the amount that lands on a cheesesteak at a diner counter, is 182 calories and about 1,082 mg of sodium.
How many calories does Cheez Whiz add to a Philly cheesesteak?
About 91 calories come from a 2-tablespoon ladle, and 182 if the cook uses a quarter cup. USDA has no record for the finished sandwich, so this page counts only the sauce. The roll, the steak and the oil on the griddle are the far bigger half of that total.
Similar foods
- Wonton wrapper — 23 cal per wonton wrapper
- Maple Syrup — 216 cal for 1/4 cup
- Cheeseburger — 488 cal per cheeseburger
- Honey — 64 cal per tablespoon
- Condensed Milk — 122 cal per 2 tbsp
- Mac And Cheese — 513 cal per cup
Count it without the math
Point the camera at the plate and BodyPal counts the spread along with everything under it.
