Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese: Nutrition & Labelgrade C (61/100)
C 62 / 100 — A genuinely clean 5-ingredient label (milk, cream, whey protein concentrate, salt, carob bean gum, cheese culture) and effectively no sugar. But this is a fat-and-flavor food, not a protein source: 6g of saturated fat per ounce — nearly a third of the FDA daily limit in one tablespoon — drags the grade down to a C. Judge it as a spread, not a protein.
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Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese delivers 2 g of protein and 100 calories per 1 oz (28 g) serving (USDA FDC 1514835) — and that 2 g is the whole story. The same ounce carries 9 g of total fat, 6 of them saturated, a fat-to-protein ratio of roughly 4.5 to 1: this is a fat-and-flavor food, not a protein source. The label is genuinely clean — five recognizable items with no added sugar — so it earns a C (61/100), an A- on ingredients and A+ on sugar dragged down by a 19/100 F on saturated fat. Use it for what it’s for — a bagel spread, a cheesecake or frosting base, a fat source in keto cooking — and don’t count it toward your protein.
Why the C
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | C | 61 / 100 | ~7 g per 100 g. Despite a dairy base, cream cheese is mostly fat — the 2 g of protein per ounce is incidental |
| Ingredient quality | A- | 85 / 100 | Five items: milk, cream, whey protein concentrate, salt, carob bean gum, cheese culture. About as clean as a packaged spread gets |
| Sugar load | A+ | 100 / 100 | ~1 g per ounce, all naturally-occurring lactose; no added sugar |
| Sodium load | C | 62 / 100 | 105 mg per ounce — moderate, and a non-issue at the small portions people actually spread |
| Saturated fat load | F | 19 / 100 | 6 g per ounce (~21 g per 100 g) — very high. One tablespoon-sized serving spends ~30% of the FDA’s 20 g daily limit |
| Fiber | F | 30 / 100 | 0 g — structural for any cheese, not a knock |
Two of these six dimensions are A-grade and the product still lands at a C. The saturated-fat F (19/100) is severe enough to outweigh a spotless ingredient list and zero added sugar — which is the point. Philadelphia isn’t being penalized for what’s in it; it’s being penalized for what it is. The 2 g of protein isn’t a defect, either: cream cheese is a high-fat soft cheese by definition, and the cream is the whole idea. The number worth watching here isn’t the protein — it’s the 6 g of saturated fat, the figure you actually accumulate if cream cheese becomes a daily habit instead of an occasional spread.
How it stacks up against the dairy-case neighbors
| Product | Protein | Calories | Saturated fat | Grade | What it’s really for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Cream Cheese (this) | 2 g (1 oz) | 100 | 6 g | C (61) | Bagel spread / baking fat |
| Boursin Garlic & Herb | 2 g (2 Tbsp) | 80 | 4.5 g | C- (59) | A richer, garlicky flavor spread |
| Babybel Original | 5 g (1 wheel) | 70 | 4 g | C (62) | A portable snacking cheese |
| Breakstone’s Lowfat Cottage Cheese | 10 g (½ cup) | 80 | 1.5 g | B (76) | An actual protein source |
Two separate decisions live in this table. Against Boursin — the other soft, spoonable spread — Philadelphia is a near-twin: identical 2 g of protein and slightly more saturated fat (6 g vs 4.5 g), so choose between them on flavor and price, not macros. Against Breakstone’s, the gap is the entire point: five times the protein, a fraction of the saturated fat, a full letter grade higher. Even a Babybel mini wheel fits 5 g of protein into just 21 g of cheese. If you want the cool, tangy hit of cream cheese on a bagel with protein behind it, whipped cottage cheese or strained Greek yogurt is the swap that moves your numbers.
Read it as a fat, and the line makes sense
In fat terms, one ounce of Philadelphia (9 g fat, 6 g saturated) is roughly two teaspoons of butter — and nobody spreads butter on a bagel and calls it protein. That’s the honest frame: a tangier, spreadable dairy fat, stabilized with carob bean gum, eaten for taste and texture. One caveat for shoppers: these numbers are the Original full-fat brick (8 oz foil brick and the tub share them). The rest of the line does not — Neufchatel / Reduced Fat trims about a third of the fat, Whipped delivers less per spread because it’s aerated, and the flavored tubs add sugar that breaks the no-added-sugar A+ this Original earns. Always check the package, especially for anything flavored.
Ingredients
Pasteurized milk and cream, whey protein concentrate, salt, carob bean gum, cheese culture. Five items — carob bean gum is a natural stabilizer, the rest you’d recognize from a dairy. (Verbatim from the USDA Branded Foods entry, FDC 1514835.)
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 oz (28 g)
See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 oz (28 g)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 100 |
| Protein | 2g |
| Total Fat | 9g |
| Saturated Fat | 6g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 1g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g |
| Total Sugars | 1g |
| Sodium | 105mg |
| Cholesterol | 35mg |
| Calcium | 19.9mg |
| Iron | 0mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese (8 oz (226 g) brick) · UPC 021000048786. 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 Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese?
Just 2 g per 1 oz (28 g) serving (USDA FDC 1514835), or about 7 g per 100 g. That ounce carries 9 g of fat against those 2 g of protein — a roughly 4.5-to-1 fat-to-protein ratio that tells you cream cheese is a fat, not a protein food.
Is cream cheese a good source of protein?
No. At 2 g per ounce it's one of the weakest 'protein' picks in the dairy case. A half cup of Breakstone's cottage cheese (10 g) or a single Babybel mini wheel (5 g in just 21 g of cheese) both beat it outright. If you want protein from dairy, cream cheese is the wrong aisle.
Why does cream cheese score a C with such a clean label?
Because the Labelgrade weighs the macros, not just the ingredient list. Philadelphia earns an A- on ingredients (five recognizable items) and an A+ on sugar, but 6 g of saturated fat per ounce scores a 19/100 F — and that one F is heavy enough to pull the overall to 61. Clean does not mean light.
How much saturated fat is in Philadelphia cream cheese?
6 g per 1 oz serving — about 30% of the FDA's 20 g daily limit in a single tablespoon-sized smear. That works out to ~21 g of saturated fat per 100 g, and it's the headline number on this product. Neufchatel (Reduced Fat) cuts it to roughly 4 g; Whipped delivers less per spread because it's aerated.
Is the 1 g of sugar in cream cheese added sugar?
No. The ~1 g per ounce is naturally-occurring lactose from the milk and cream — the ingredient panel lists no sugar. This is the one nutrition line where the Original brick scores perfectly (A+, 100/100). Note that flavored tubs break this; many add sugar.
Is Philadelphia cream cheese keto-friendly?
Yes, and it's a keto staple — 1 g carb, 9 g fat, 2 g protein per ounce makes it a near-ideal fat source and texture base for low-carb cheesecakes, fat bombs, and sauces. You're using it for the fat, which is exactly the role its macros suit.
What is carob bean gum doing in the ingredient list?
Carob bean gum (also called locust bean gum) is a natural stabilizer from the carob tree that keeps the texture smooth and spreadable straight from the fridge. It's the only additive on an otherwise four-item list of milk, cream, whey protein concentrate, salt, and cheese culture.