Kraft Singles American Cheese: Nutrition & Labelgrade B- (71/100)
B- 71 / 100 — A pasteurized prepared cheese product, not natural cheese — the milk-protein concentrate, phosphates, and starch are there to make it melt smooth, not to add nutrition. As a protein source it's weak: a slice carries only about 3g. The grade lands at B- mostly because there's almost nothing in it to penalize, which is faint praise.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Kraft Singles American Cheese Slices are a pasteurized prepared cheese product — not natural cheese — and as a protein source they are weak: an individual slice carries roughly 2.5 to 3 g of protein at about 50 calories. (The USDA entry behind this page, FDC 2756883, is recorded on an unusual 60 g serving basis showing 1.8 g protein; either way it lands at a very low ~3 g of protein per 100 g, a fraction of what real cheese delivers.) The one thing Singles are genuinely engineered to do is melt — smooth, even, no greasy split — and on a burger or a grilled cheese that is the entire point. The Labelgrade is B- (71 / 100), which slightly overstates the food: it scores reasonably mostly because there is so little in it to penalize, not because it is nourishing.
Why the B-
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | C- | 55 / 100 | About 3 g per 100 g on the panel, where Kraft’s own natural Pepper Jack is ~25 g. The melt-first formula dilutes the protein |
| Ingredient quality | B- | 72 / 100 | Cheddar plus added skim milk, milkfat, milk protein concentrate, whey, two phosphate emulsifiers, and modified food starch — recognizable, but clearly engineered |
| Saturated fat load | B+ | 84 / 100 | Low on the recorded serving (1.5 g). Singles are not especially fatty by weight, part of why so little is “wrong” on paper |
| Sodium load | B- | 71 / 100 | ~150 mg on the 60 g basis; ~200 mg per slice on the package. The phosphate salt and added salt both push it up |
| Sugar load | A+ | 100 / 100 | ~1.2 g, entirely naturally-occurring lactose. No added sugar |
| Fiber | F | 30 / 100 | 0 g — expected for any dairy product |
The grade is a study in how a food can be unremarkable in both directions. There is no added sugar to ding, no heavy saturated-fat load on the recorded serving, so the penalties stay small and the score drifts up to B-. But a high grade earned by absence is not the same as nutrition: the protein density C- is the number that actually describes what you are eating. Buy Singles for the melt, not the macros.
A note on the serving basis
The USDA record for this exact entry uses a 60 g serving that does not match a real single slice (about 19-21 g). That is why the per-serving figures on this page — 36 calories, 1.8 g protein, 150 mg sodium — read lower than the per-slice numbers printed on the wrapper. We keep the USDA-recorded values for transparency, but the practical reality is per slice: roughly 50 calories, 2.5-3 g protein, and ~200 mg sodium each. Whichever basis you use, the protein-to-calorie story is the same modest one.
Process cheese vs real cheese
This is the comparison that matters, because a Kraft Single and a same-size piece of natural cheese look identical melting on a sandwich — and they are not the same food.
| Product | Protein | Calcium | Ingredient character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kraft Singles American (this product) | ~3 g per slice | n/a on USDA panel | Pasteurized prepared cheese product; phosphate emulsifiers + starch |
| Kraft Natural Pepper Jack | 7 g per oz (28 g) | 200 mg per oz | Real Monterey Jack; 3-ingredient cheese base |
| Kraft Mozzarella String Cheese | 6 g per stick (24 g) | 140 mg per stick | Real part-skim mozzarella; 5 clean ingredients |
Two verified points fall out of Kraft’s own catalog. First, natural cheese carries roughly twice the protein per bite: Pepper Jack’s 7 g per ounce versus a Single’s ~3 g per slice. Second, the natural cheeses get there on short, recognizable ingredient lists — Pepper Jack is essentially Monterey Jack, jalapenos, and a mold inhibitor — with no emulsifying salts and no added starch. Singles need all that engineering precisely because they are built to do something natural cheese cannot quite match: melt into a flawless, uniform layer. That is a real and useful property. It is just a texture property, not a nutrition one.
Who it’s for
Reach for Singles when the melt is the job: the glossy, even drape on a smash burger, the pull on a diner-style grilled cheese, the quick American slice on a breakfast sandwich. For that, the phosphates earn their keep and nothing else on the shelf behaves quite the same. Skip them when you want cheese to contribute protein — a slice of real cheddar or a string-cheese stick does roughly double the work — or when you are managing sodium and tend to stack two or three slices at a time. It is a convenience-and-texture food doing exactly what it was designed to do, no more.
Ingredients
Cheddar cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), skim milk, milkfat, milk protein concentrate, whey, and two phosphate emulsifiers — calcium phosphate and sodium phosphate. Then, at less than 2% each: modified food starch, salt, lactic acid, milk, annatto and paprika extract for color, natamycin (a natural mold inhibitor), enzymes, cheese cultures, and vitamin D3. In plain terms: real cheddar as the starting point, rebuilt with milk solids and melting salts into something smoother and more uniform than cheese can be on its own. (Verbatim ingredient text from the USDA Branded Foods entry, FDC 2756883.)
Where to buy
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The Labelgrade score is independent of affiliate relationships. More.
🔬 Compare this product side-by-side with any other →
Quick Facts
Per serving · 60 g
00072830011341See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (60 g) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 36 |
| Protein | 1.8g |
| Total Fat | 2.4g |
| Saturated Fat | 1.5g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 1.2g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g |
| Total Sugars | 1.2g |
| Sodium | 150mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Kraft Singles American Cheese Slices (Twin Pack) (24 oz (680 g) twin pack, 32 slices) · UPC 00072830011341. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains animal-derived ingredients
contains no listed meat or fish
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in a Kraft Single?
About 2.5 to 3 g per individual slice. The USDA entry behind this page (FDC 2756883) is recorded on an unusual 60 g serving basis showing 1.8 g protein, which works out to roughly 3 g of protein per 100 g — very low for anything called cheese. Either way the takeaway is the same: a Kraft Single is not a meaningful protein source. A same-size piece of real natural cheese carries roughly twice as much.
Is Kraft Singles real cheese?
No, and the package says so in small print: it is legally a 'pasteurized prepared cheese product,' not cheese. It starts with cheddar but is then rebuilt with skim milk, milkfat, milk protein concentrate, whey, and emulsifying salts (calcium phosphate and sodium phosphate), plus a little modified food starch. Those additions are exactly what give Singles their signature smooth, even melt — and what separate them from a block of aged cheddar.
Why is the protein density only a C-?
Because by weight there is very little protein here. Kraft's own natural Pepper Jack runs 7 g of protein per ounce (about 25 g per 100 g); this product's panel works out to roughly 3 g per 100 g. The reformulation toward meltability — more added milkfat and water-binding ingredients, less concentrated cheese — dilutes the protein. If you are eating cheese for protein, Singles are the wrong slice.
What are the phosphate salts doing in here?
Emulsification. Sodium phosphate and calcium phosphate are the 'melting salts' that let the cheese, milkfat, and water bind into one smooth, plastic mass that melts evenly instead of breaking into a greasy puddle. They are the defining technology of American process cheese and the reason a Single drapes perfectly over a hot burger. Considered safe, but a clear marker that this is engineered for texture, not aged for flavor.
How much sodium is in Kraft Singles?
About 150 mg on the USDA 60 g serving basis, and roughly 200-220 mg per individual slice on the package label. That is typical for processed cheese: the sodium phosphate emulsifier and the added salt both contribute. Stack two or three slices on a sandwich and the sodium adds up faster than the protein does.
Does it have added sugar?
No added sugar. The ~1.2 g of sugar on the panel is naturally-occurring lactose from the milk and whey, which is why this product still earns an A+ on the sugar dimension. Total carbohydrate is minimal.
Is it gluten-free, and what about the milk allergen?
It contains modified food starch but the starch is not necessarily wheat-derived; Kraft does not market Singles as certified gluten-free, so a strict-avoidance shopper should read the live package. It is unmistakably a dairy product — milk is declared multiple times (cheddar, skim milk, milkfat, milk protein concentrate, whey) — so it is not safe for a milk allergy.