Shredded cheese calories come to 261 for one cup (86 g) and 304 per 100 g, based on low-moisture part-skim mozzarella. What matters most is the portion. A 1 oz portion is 85 calories, but recipes rarely stop there, and fat supplies 58% of every calorie you add.
261kcal
1 cup · 86 g, mozzarella, low-moisture part-skim
31%protein
20 gProtein
7 gCarbs
17 gFat
How to burn off 261 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Mozzarella, low-moisture part-skim · per 86 g
Calories
261 kcal
Protein
20 g
Carbohydrate
6.9 g
Fat
17 g
Saturated fat
9.9 g
Cholesterol
56 mg
Sodium
587 mg
Potassium
113 mg
Iron
0.2 mg
Source: USDA FoodData Central
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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 →
Shredded 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 cup (86 g)
261
20.3 g
6.9 g
17 g
587 mg
13%
1 oz portion (28 g)
85
6.6 g
2.3 g
5.5 g
191 mg
4%
Parmesan, 1 tbsp (5 g)
21
1.9 g
0.2 g
1.4 g
85 mg
1%
100 g
304
23.6 g
8.1 g
19.7 g
682 mg
15%
3 × 1 cup (86 g)
784
61 g
1,760 mg
5 × 1 cup (86 g)
1,307
101.6 g
2,933 mg
A cup is 261 calories, an ounce is 85
The USDA row behind this page is low-moisture part-skim mozzarella, shredded. One cup weighs 86 g and carries 261 calories, 20.3 g of protein and 587 mg of sodium. That is 13% of a 2000-calorie daily value, which sounds modest until you notice how rarely a recipe stops at one cup.
A 1 oz portion (28 g) is the label serving and the more honest unit for topping. It lands at 85 calories with 6.6 g of protein and 5.5 g of fat. A loose handful over tacos or a salad sits close to that ounce, and a pinch is a small fraction of it. If you pour straight from the bag, weigh one pour so you know what your handful really is.
Casseroles and baked pastas are where the total jumps. Two cups is 172 g and 523 calories. Three cups reaches 784 calories and 1,760 mg of sodium, and five cups, a big-batch casserole amount, is 1,307 calories and 2,933 mg of sodium spread across the dish. Divide by the number of plates and the per-serving cheese can still beat the pasta.
Fat supplies 58% of the calories
Per 100 g, this mozzarella has 19.7 g of fat, 23.6 g of protein and 8.1 g of carbs. Fat carries 58% of the calories, protein 31% and carbs 11%. For a cheese, that is a fairly lean split. Part-skim milk keeps the fat well below what full-fat blends like colby jack carry.
Protein is the strong point. One cup gives 20.3 g, which is 41% of the 50 g daily value, and 100 g reaches 47%. Even the 1 oz portion covers 13%. Few toppings bring that much protein along with their calories, which is why a modest sprinkle can make a vegetable dish more filling.
Carbs stay low: 6.9 g per cup, with 1.9 g of sugars and 0 g of fiber. At an ounce it is 2.3 g of carbs and 0.6 g of sugars, so shredded cheese barely registers if you track carbs. The calorie cost lives almost entirely in the fat and protein.
Sodium and saturated fat are the rows to watch
Every 100 g holds 682 mg of sodium, 30% of the daily value. A cup brings 587 mg, or 26%, and an ounce adds 191 mg, or 8%. Cheese rarely travels alone, so that sodium stacks on top of tortillas, sauce, chips or deli meat already on the plate.
Saturated fat is 11.5 g per 100 g, set against a daily value of 20 g. Cholesterol is 65 mg per 100 g, against a daily value of 300 mg. If you watch either row, build around the ounce portion rather than the cup, and let the cheese finish the dish instead of forming a layer.
Parmesan works differently. A tablespoon (5 g) is just 21 calories, 1.9 g of protein and 85 mg of sodium. It is salty for its weight, but its strong flavor means a tablespoon does the work of a much bigger pile of mild mozzarella. That makes it a smart swap when you want cheese taste with a smaller calorie and sodium bill.
Use it as a topping, not a base
Shredded cheese earns its place when it finishes a dish built on vegetables, beans, eggs or lean protein. An ounce over a bowl of roasted vegetables or a plate of scrambled eggs adds 85 calories and 6.6 g of protein. That trade is easy to fit into most days of eating.
The trouble starts when cheese becomes the main event: nachos, quesadillas, a second cup over pasta. Two cups bring 40.6 g of protein, but also 523 calories and 1,173 mg of sodium. Measure the first pour, and the next ones get much easier to judge by eye.
Bags on this page range from Great Value Mozzarella Low-Moisture Part-Skim Shredded Cheese to Great Value Sharp Cheddar Shredded Cheese and Colby & Monterey Jack blends, and the cheddar and jack bags will not match these mozzarella numbers. Check which blend you bought before you log it. BodyPal can log your plate from a photo when weighing is not practical.
How does shredded cheese compare?
Here is shredded mozzarella next to colby jack, American and string cheese, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For the fewest calories per bite, pick shredded mozzarella or string cheese, which sits at 295 per 100 g, while colby jack runs 393. If sodium is your concern, skip American cheese: it carries 1,660 mg per 100 g, more than double the others.
Most popular shredded cheese brands in the United States
Ranked by popularity in the BodyPal database
# Productkcal / 100 g
1Great Value Finely Shredded Colby & Monterey Jack1/3 cup · 28 g393 kcal
2Great Value Colby and Monterey Jack Shredded Cheese1/4 cup · 28 g393 kcal
3Great Value Mozzarella Low-Moisture Part-Skim Shredded Cheese1/4 cup · 28 g286 kcal
4Great Value Provolone & Mozzarella Blend Finely Shredded Cheese1/3 cup · 28 g321 kcal
5Bella Rosa Parmesan Shredded Cheese1 tbsp · 5 g400 kcal
6Great Value Sharp Cheddar Shredded Cheese1/4 cup · 28 g393 kcal
Bagged cheddar, colby jack and parmesan blends are firmer, drier cheeses, so their labels read near 393 calories per 100 g against 304 for part-skim mozzarella. Source: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Shredded cheese FAQs
How many calories are in shredded cheese?
One cup of shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella is 261 calories, and a 1 oz serving (28 g) is 85 calories. Per 100 g it is 304 calories.
Is shredded cheese good for weight loss?
A 1 oz serving is 85 calories with 6.6 g protein and 5.5 g fat, while a full cup is 261 calories with 20.3 g protein and 17 g fat.
Which has more calories, shredded parmesan or shredded mozzarella?
Shredded parmesan is 415 calories per 100 g against 304 for low-moisture part-skim mozzarella. A tablespoon of shredded parmesan (5 g) is 21 calories.
How much protein is in shredded cheese?
Shredded part-skim mozzarella has 23.6 g protein per 100 g, so a 1 oz serving has 6.6 g and a cup has 20.3 g. Shredded parmesan has 37.9 g per 100 g.
What counts as a serving of shredded cheese?
A serving is 1 oz (28 g), which is 85 calories, 6.6 g of protein and 191 mg of sodium. That is roughly a third of a cup, since the full cup weighs 86 g.
How many calories are in a handful of shredded cheese?
A typical handful is close to a 1 oz portion (28 g), or about 85 calories. Big hands and loose packing can push it higher, so weigh one handful once to see where yours lands.
How many calories are in a pinch of shredded cheese?
A pinch weighs only a few grams, so it adds far fewer than the 85 calories in a 1 oz portion. As a reference point, 5 g of Parmesan, one tablespoon, is 21 calories.
How many carbs are in shredded cheese?
One cup has 6.9 g of carbs and a 1 oz portion has 2.3 g, with 0 g of fiber. Per 100 g it is 8.1 g, so carbs supply only 11% of the calories.
How many calories are in grated cheese?
Grated Parmesan comes to 21 calories per tablespoon (5 g), with 1.9 g of protein and 85 mg of sodium. Shredded mozzarella is lighter per gram at 304 calories per 100 g, but you usually use far more of it.
