How many calories are in Velveeta cheese?
A 1 oz slice of Velveeta cut from the loaf is 85 calories, and the block runs 303 calories per 100 g in USDA's record. That is a rich number for something that behaves like a sauce. The bigger surprise is the sodium: 420 mg in that one slice.
You'd need to walk about 17 minutes to burn the 85 calories in a 1 oz slice (28 g).
How long does it take to burn off Velveeta cheese?
A 1 oz slice (28 g) is 85 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 85 kcal |
|---|---|
| Walking, brisk | 17 min |
| Cycling, moderate | 11 min |
| Swimming, moderate | 12 min |
| Jogging | 10 min |
| Weight training, moderate | 19 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 (28 g); change it to what you actually ate. BodyPal works this out from your steps automatically.
On this page
- Velveeta quick facts
- US servings from one slice to half a loaf
- Velveeta Light slices shreds and Shells and Cheese
- Sodium is the row that runs out first
- How does Velveeta compare?
- Most popular velveeta cheese brands
- Velveeta FAQs
Velveeta quick facts
The full profile below comes from SR Legacy record 173448, "KRAFT VELVEETA Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread". It is the only USDA entry for Velveeta itself that carries the whole label: saturated fat, fiber, sugars, cholesterol and potassium in one place. Branded entries for the loaf list calories and the big three macros and stop there.
One thing to know before you use it. That record predates the current recipe, and today's package prints 250 calories per 100 g rather than 303. Both numbers are in this article, and the variant table below shows them side by side.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 1 oz slice (28 g) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 303 | 85 | — |
| Total fat | 22 g | 6.2 g | 8% |
| Saturated fat | 14.4 g | 4.0 g | 20% |
| Carbohydrate | 9.8 g | 2.7 g | 1% |
| Dietary fiber | 0 g | 0.0 g | 0% |
| Total sugars | 8.1 g | 2.3 g | — |
| Protein | 16.3 g | 4.6 g | 9% |
| Sodium | 1499 mg | 420 mg | 18% |
% 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 →
There is no added sugars row and no trans fat row here, because the SR Legacy edition of this record does not publish either one. The 8.1 g of total sugars per 100 g is lactose from the milk solids plus whatever the recipe contributes, and USDA does not split it. Cholesterol and potassium are published: 80 mg and 335 mg per 100 g, which work out to 22 mg of cholesterol (7% DV) and 94 mg of potassium (2% DV) in a single slice.
The saturated fat is the row that gets ahead of people. One slice covers a fifth of the day's 20 g limit set by the FDA Daily Value list, which is fine on its own and less fine in a grilled cheese that uses three of them.
US servings from one slice to half a loaf
| Serving | Weight | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1 oz slice, cut from the loaf | 28 g | 85 kcal |
| 2 oz, two slices | 56 g | 170 kcal |
| 4 oz, the melting amount | 113 g | 342 kcal |
| 8 oz, half a 1 lb loaf | 227 g | 688 kcal |
| Per 100 g | 100 g | 303 kcal |
Only the 1 oz slice and the 100 g line come straight from USDA. The 2 oz, 4 oz and 8 oz rows are our own arithmetic from the USDA 100 g figure, not USDA servings, which is the honest way to handle a food nobody actually portions by the ounce.
And that is the practical problem with Velveeta. It gets cubed into a saucepan, not laid on a scale, so the number that matters is how much of the loaf disappeared. Half a 1 lb loaf melted into a queso for a party is 688 calories before a single chip. A 4 oz block stirred into macaroni for two is 342 calories, or 171 per person, which is modest for what it does to the pasta.
If you cook by cubes, a 1 lb loaf cuts into roughly sixteen 1 oz pieces, so each cube you drop in is another 85 calories. Counting cubes is faster than weighing and lands close enough.
Velveeta Light slices shreds and Shells and Cheese
| Version | Per 100 g | Typical serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Velveeta Original, USDA SR Legacy record | 303 kcal | 1 oz slice (28 g) | 85 kcal |
| Velveeta Original loaf, current label | 250 kcal | 1 oz slice (28 g) | 70 kcal |
| Velveeta Light, reduced fat | 222 kcal | 1 oz (28 g) | 62 kcal |
| Velveeta 2% Milk | 214 kcal | 1 oz (28 g) | 60 kcal |
| Velveeta Original Flavor Slices | 190 kcal | 1 slice (21 g) | 40 kcal |
| Velveeta Shreds Original | 214 kcal | 1/4 cup (28 g) | 60 kcal |
| Velveeta Original Shells & Cheese | 339 kcal | 4 oz dry mix (112 g) | 380 kcal |
The first two rows are the same food, twenty years apart. The gap is 53 calories per 100 g, or 15 calories on a slice, and it exists because the product was reformulated after the SR Legacy record was published. If you are logging from the package in front of you, 70 is the number on the box; if you are logging a generic "processed cheese" entry, expect it to sit nearer 85.
Velveeta Light cuts the fat in half, from 22 g to 10.6 g per 100 g, and pushes protein up from 16.3 g to 19.6 g. It costs you nothing in melt quality and saves 23 calories an ounce against the SR Legacy original. What it does not save is salt, and that is covered in the next section.
The packaged slices are the sleeper. At 190 calories per 100 g they are the lightest version by density, and each slice weighs 21 g rather than 28 g, so one is 40 calories. A slice you cut yourself from the block is 85. Same sandwich, same appearance, more than double the calories. That single mismatch explains most of the confusion in Velveeta logs.
Shells & Cheese is a different animal. The 339 calories per 100 g belongs to the dry mix, mostly pasta, and the 4 oz box portion is 380 calories before butter or milk. Compare that to the 342 calories in 4 oz of the block cheese itself and you can see the pasta doing the work.
Sodium is the row that runs out first
Velveeta carries 1,499 mg of sodium per 100 g. In a 1 oz slice that is 420 mg, or 18% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value, which is about a fifth of a teaspoon of table salt in a piece of cheese the size of two dominoes.
Scale it to how it actually gets eaten and the arithmetic turns sharp. A 4 oz melt is 1,694 mg of sodium, 74% of the day, for only 342 calories, so the sodium budget empties roughly four times faster than the calorie budget. Half a loaf in a party dip is over 3,400 mg, past the full-day figure on its own. The CDC's sodium guidance is worth a look if that is a number you track.
Here is the counterintuitive part: the reduced-fat version is saltier. Velveeta Light lists 1,586 mg of sodium per 100 g against the original's 1,499 mg, which is about 444 mg in a 1 oz serving by our own arithmetic from the USDA 100 g figure. Choosing Light saves calories and fat. It does not save sodium, and if sodium is what you are watching, the smaller packaged slice is the better lever than the lighter loaf.
Fiber is zero in every version, and MyPlate counts cheese in the dairy group rather than anywhere else on the plate, so nothing here is doing work on the fiber side of the day.
How does Velveeta compare?
| Cheese | Per 100 g | US serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Velveeta, process cheese spread | 303 kcal | 1 oz slice (28 g) | 85 kcal |
| American process cheese product | 307 kcal | 1 slice, 2/3 oz (19 g) | 58 kcal |
| Mozzarella, whole milk | 299 kcal | 1 oz (28 g) | 84 kcal |
| Queso fresco | 299 kcal | 1 oz (28 g) | 84 kcal |
Per gram these four are nearly identical, inside 8 calories of each other across the whole table. The American single only looks lighter because it weighs 19 g, not 28 g. Where they actually part company is the carbohydrate: 9.8 g per 100 g in Velveeta against 2.4 g in whole-milk mozzarella, roughly four times as much, which is the milk solids and the emulsifying salts that make it melt without breaking.
Our take: if you want protein per calorie, whole-milk mozzarella wins this table at 22.17 g per 100 g against Velveeta's 16.3 g, and queso fresco is close behind at 18.09 g. If you want a smooth sauce with no roux and no grit, nothing else here does it, and the honest trade is about 6 g of protein per 100 g plus the sodium. Use the packaged 21 g slices when the cheese is a layer, and the block when it has to melt. Do not use Velveeta as your protein cheese and do not pretend the dip is a side dish.
Most popular velveeta cheese 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) |
|---|---|
| Velveeta Processed Cheese Loaf Original | 250 cal |
| Velveeta 2% Milk Cheese | 214 cal |
| Velveeta Original Flavor Cheese Slices | 190 cal |
| Velveeta Fresh Packs Original Cheese | 250 cal |
| Velveeta Slices Sharp Cheddar Cheese | 190 cal |
| Velveeta Shreds Queso Blanco | 214 cal |
Brand popularity: BodyPal food database. Nutrition: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Velveeta FAQs
How many calories are in Velveeta cheese?
Velveeta runs 303 calories per 100 g in the USDA SR Legacy record, so a 1 oz slice cut from the loaf is 85 calories. The current package label is lower, at 250 per 100 g and 70 calories a slice, because the recipe was reformulated after that record was published.
How many calories in a slice of Velveeta?
85 calories for a 1 oz (28 g) slice cut from the block. A pre-cut slice from a package of Velveeta Slices weighs 21 g and lists 40 calories, so the two look alike on a sandwich but differ by 45 calories. Weigh once and you will know which one you are eating.
Is Velveeta real cheese?
USDA files it as pasteurized process cheese spread with 9.8 g of carbohydrate per 100 g, not as cheese. Whole-milk mozzarella has 2.4 g of carbohydrate, and Velveeta's 16.3 g of protein trails mozzarella's 22.17 g. It melts smoother than natural cheese because of that difference, which is the point of it.
How much protein is in Velveeta?
A 1 oz slice has 4.6 g of protein, 9% of the Daily Value, from 16.3 g per 100 g. Velveeta Light is denser at 19.6 g per 100 g. Whole-milk mozzarella beats both at 22.17 g per 100 g, so Velveeta is a melting cheese first and a protein source second.
How much sodium is in Velveeta cheese?
1,499 mg per 100 g, which is 420 mg in a 1 oz slice, or 18% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value. Melt 4 oz for a dip and you are at 1,694 mg, 74% of the day, for only 342 calories. Sodium runs out long before the calories do.
Is Velveeta Light lower in calories?
Yes, 222 calories per 100 g against 303, so a 1 oz serving is 62 calories instead of 85. The fat drops from 22 g to 10.6 g per 100 g and protein rises to 19.6 g. Sodium goes the other way, up to 1,586 mg per 100 g, so it saves calories, not salt.
How many calories in Velveeta Shells & Cheese?
The original box is 339 calories per 100 g of dry mix, and the 4 oz (112 g) portion listed on the package is 380 calories before you add anything. That is more than four slices of the block cheese, because most of it is dry pasta rather than cheese.
Velveeta vs American cheese calories?
Close per gram: 303 calories per 100 g for Velveeta against 307 for USDA's pasteurized process American cheese product. The serving sizes differ more than the food does. An American single weighs 19 g and lands at 58 calories, while a 1 oz Velveeta slice is 28 g and 85 calories.
Similar foods
- Honey — 64 cal per tablespoon
- Cheeseburger — 488 cal per cheeseburger
- Wonton wrapper — 23 cal per wonton wrapper
- Condensed Milk — 122 cal per 2 tbsp
- Maple Syrup — 216 cal for 1/4 cup
- Gouda cheese — 75 cal per slice
Count it without the math
Point the camera at the plate and BodyPal counts the melted cheese along with everything under it.
