Cheese food, pasteurized process, American, vitamin D fortified
Whole food · Dairy and Egg Products
Photo: Wikipedia
This is the classic, smooth, and meltable American cheese slice, engineered for perfect consistency. It delivers a mild, salty, and creamy flavor with a soft, pliable texture that coats the mouth. Nutritionally, it's a dense source of protein and fat, and is often fortified with Vitamin D for bone health.
💚 Why it's loved
People adore it for its unmatched melting ability, creating the iconic gooey pull on burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches. Its mild, salty flavor is a nostalgic comfort food staple, especially in American diners and home kitchens.
⚠️ Watch-outs & how to enjoy it better
It is typically high in sodium and saturated fat, which should be monitored in a heart-healthy diet. As a processed food, it may contain emulsifiers and additives some prefer to avoid. Tip: Balance it by pairing with fiber-rich vegetables (like in a veggie omelet) and lean protein, and practice portion control by using a single slice as a flavor accent.
Key benefits
- Excellent source of complete protein for muscle maintenance.
- Provides calcium and phosphorus for bone and teeth health.
- Often fortified with Vitamin D to aid calcium absorption.
- High in energy (calories) for a quick fuel source.
- Extremely meltable, making it a functional cooking ingredient.
🍽️ Popular dishes
🌍 Where it's eaten
💡 Did you know?
American cheese was invented in the 1910s by James L. Kraft, who patented a process to make cheese that wouldn't spoil easily, revolutionizing the dairy industry and lunchboxes everywhere.
Full nutrition (scales with serving)
| Water | 44.0 g |
| Energy | 330 kcal |
| Energy | 1382 kj |
| Protein | 16.9 g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 25.6 g |
| Ash | 5.0 g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 8.6 g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 0.00 g |
| Total Sugars | 5.6 g |
| Sucrose | 0.00 g |
| Glucose | 0.00 g |
| Fructose | 0.00 g |
| Lactose | 5.4 g |
| Maltose | 0.00 g |
| Galactose | 0.18 g |
| Calcium, Ca | 682 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0.26 mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 27.0 mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 438 mg |
| Potassium, K | 255 mg |
| Sodium, Na | 1284 mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 2.3 mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.03 mg |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.03 mg |
| Selenium, Se | 19.6 ug |
| Fluoride, F | 35.0 ug |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 0.00 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.04 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.36 mg |
| Niacin | 0.15 mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.85 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.10 mg |
| Folate, total | 7.0 ug |
| Folic acid | 0.00 ug |
| Folate, food | 7.0 ug |
| Folate, DFE | 7.0 ug |
| Choline, total | 36.2 mg |
| Betaine | 1.4 mg |
| Vitamin B-12 | 1.3 ug |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 201 ug |
| Retinol | 196 ug |
| Carotene, beta | 65.0 ug |
| Carotene, alpha | 0.00 ug |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, IU | 761 iu |
| Lycopene | 0.00 ug |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.63 mg |
| Vitamin E, added | 0.00 mg |
| Tocopherol, beta | 0.00 mg |
| Tocopherol, gamma | 0.06 mg |
| Tocopherol, delta | 0.01 mg |
| Tocotrienol, alpha | 0.02 mg |
| Tocotrienol, beta | 0.02 mg |
| Tocotrienol, gamma | 0.02 mg |
| Tocotrienol, delta | 0.05 mg |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 102 iu |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 2.5 ug |
| Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) | 2.5 ug |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 3.4 ug |
| Vitamin K (Dihydrophylloquinone) | 0.00 ug |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 15.1 g |
| SFA 4:0 | 0.52 g |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.44 g |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.28 g |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.66 g |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.74 g |
| SFA 13:0 | 0.03 g |
| SFA 14:0 | 2.5 g |
| SFA 15:0 | 0.26 g |
| SFA 16:0 | 6.8 g |
| SFA 17:0 | 0.16 g |
| SFA 18:0 | 2.6 g |
| SFA 20:0 | 0.04 g |
| SFA 22:0 | 0.02 g |
| SFA 24:0 | 0.01 g |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 6.8 g |
| MUFA 14:1 | 0.21 g |
| MUFA 15:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.45 g |
| MUFA 16:1 c | 0.36 g |
| MUFA 17:1 | 0.05 g |
| MUFA 18:1 | 5.9 g |
| MUFA 18:1 c | 5.3 g |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.19 g |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 22:1 c | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 24:1 c | 0.00 g |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 1.0 g |
| PUFA 18:2 | 0.81 g |
| PUFA 18:2 n-6 c,c | 0.63 g |
| PUFA 18:2 CLAs | 0.02 g |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.12 g |
| PUFA 18:3 n-3 c,c,c (ALA) | 0.12 g |
| PUFA 18:3 n-6 c,c,c | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0.01 g |
| PUFA 20:2 n-6 c,c | 0.01 g |
| PUFA 20:3 | 0.03 g |
| PUFA 20:3 n-3 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:3 n-6 | 0.03 g |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.04 g |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.01 g |
| PUFA 22:4 | 0.01 g |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0.02 g |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0.01 g |
| Fatty acids, total trans | 0.92 g |
| Fatty acids, total trans-monoenoic | 0.76 g |
| TFA 16:1 t | 0.09 g |
| TFA 18:1 t | 0.67 g |
| TFA 22:1 t | 0.00 g |
| TFA 18:2 t not further defined | 0.16 g |
| Fatty acids, total trans-polyenoic | 0.16 g |
| Cholesterol | 98.0 mg |
| Tryptophan | 0.24 g |
| Threonine | 0.72 g |
| Isoleucine | 0.86 g |
| Leucine | 1.6 g |
| Lysine | 1.3 g |
| Methionine | 0.38 g |
| Cystine | 0.17 g |
| Phenylalanine | 0.83 g |
| Tyrosine | 0.83 g |
| Valine | 1.0 g |
| Arginine | 0.61 g |
| Histidine | 0.45 g |
| Alanine | 0.52 g |
| Aspartic acid | 1.2 g |
| Glutamic acid | 3.5 g |
| Glycine | 0.32 g |
| Proline | 1.8 g |
| Serine | 0.93 g |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0.00 g |
| Caffeine | 0.00 mg |
| Theobromine | 0.00 mg |
FAQ
Is American cheese real cheese?
It is a 'pasteurized process cheese food,' meaning it's made from real cheese (like cheddar) that is blended with other dairy ingredients, emulsifiers, and salt, then heated to create a uniform product.
Why does it melt so perfectly?
The added emulsifying salts (like sodium citrate) prevent the fat and proteins from separating when heated, resulting in a smooth, creamy melt without becoming greasy or clumpy.
How does it differ from 'cheese product' or 'cheese spread'?
The USDA defines specific categories. 'Pasteurized process cheese food' must contain at least 51% real cheese. 'Cheese product' has a lower cheese content, while 'cheese spread' is softer and more spreadable.