Kraft Mozzarella String Cheese: 6g Protein per Stick, Labelgrade C+
C+ 68 / 100 — Surprisingly strong overall score for a kid-snack-aisle product. 25 g protein per 100 g is denser than plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, and the 5-ingredient list (pasteurized part-skim milk, vinegar, salt, enzymes, vitamin A palmitate) is genuinely clean. Sodium is the main critique — 750 mg per 100 g is high, which is structural for cheese rather than a Kraft-specific decision. A great kid snack or low-carb adult portion.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Kraft Mozzarella String Cheese delivers 6 g of protein and 60 calories per stick (24 g) (USDA FDC 2617595) — about 25 g of protein per 100 g, denser than plain Greek yogurt. The 5-ingredient list (pasteurized part-skim milk, vinegar, salt, enzymes, vitamin A palmitate) is genuinely clean for a mass-market kid snack. The Labelgrade is C+ (68 / 100) — strong on protein density, ingredient simplicity, and zero-sugar; dinged on sodium load (750 mg per 100 g), which is structural for cheese rather than a Kraft-specific decision.
Why this Labelgrade
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | A- | 88 / 100 | 25 g of protein per 100 g — denser than every plain Greek yogurt in our database and most cottage cheese. Mozzarella’s protein-to-fat ratio is one of the leanest among common cheeses |
| Ingredient quality | B+ | 82 / 100 | Five ingredients, all recognizable. Pasteurized part-skim milk first, vinegar (coagulant), salt, enzymes (non-animal microbial rennet), and vitamin A palmitate (standard milk-product additive) |
| Sugar load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0 g sugar — perfect |
| Sodium load | F | 27 / 100 | 180 mg per stick is fine, but 750 mg per 100 g is high. This is structural for cheese (sodium is part of the cheese-making process); not a Kraft-specific critique |
| Fiber | F | 30 / 100 | 0 g, expected for cheese |
| Saturated fat load | C- | 55 / 100 | 8 g per 100 g — elevated — accumulates fast if eaten in volume |
| Overall | C+ | 68 / 100 | A surprisingly well-formulated mainstream product. The small serving size keeps sodium per snack manageable; the per-100 g sodium is the main reason for caution if eating multiple sticks at once |
How it compares
| Product | Protein per 100 g | Sodium per 100 g | Calories per 100 g | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraft Mozzarella String Cheese | 25 g | 750 mg | 250 | 5 |
| Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt | 18 g | 65 mg | 90 | 2 |
| Good Culture Cottage Cheese (Classic) | 19 g | 245 mg | 84 | 4 |
| Plain cooked chicken breast | 31 g | ~75 mg | 165 | 1 |
| Eggland’s Best Liquid Egg Whites | 11 g | 163 mg | 54 | 1 |
String cheese is the leanest of common cheeses (denser than cheddar, lower fat than gouda) and has a clean ingredient list. The cost is sodium — about 10x what plain Greek yogurt has per gram. Used as a portion-controlled snack (1-2 sticks), the sodium load is reasonable; used as a meal protein (5+ sticks), it adds up.
Whole-food equivalent
One Kraft Mozzarella String Cheese stick (6 g protein) equals roughly:
- 19 g of cooked chicken breast (just over a half ounce)
- 1 large egg
- 33 g of Fage Total 0% Greek yogurt (about 2 tablespoons)
Scope
This page covers Kraft Mozzarella String Cheese Snacks in the 20 oz / 566 g multi-pack (UPC 021000044719, USDA FDC 2617595). The product is also sold in smaller pack counts (typically 6, 12, or 24 sticks). Per-stick nutrition is identical across pack sizes. Kraft also sells other string cheese variants (light mozzarella with 50% less fat, twisted varieties, etc.) — those have different formulations and Labelgrades. Always check the actual package label.
Ingredients (from the USDA Branded Foods entry)
Pasteurized part-skim milk, vinegar, salt, enzymes (non-animal), vitamin A palmitate.
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.
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 stick (24 g)
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 stick (24 g)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 60 |
| Protein | 6g |
| Total Fat | 3.5g |
| Saturated Fat | 2g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 1g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g |
| Total Sugars | 0g |
| Added Sugars | 0g |
| Sodium | 180mg |
| Cholesterol | 10mg |
| Calcium | 140mg |
| Iron | 0mg |
| Potassium | 0mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Kraft Mozzarella String Cheese Snacks (20 oz (566 g)) · UPC 021000044719. 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 Mozzarella String Cheese stick?
6 grams of protein per 1-stick (24 g) serving (USDA FDC 2617595). A package contains 24 sticks at 6 g each, or about 144 g of protein in the 20 oz package.
How many calories per stick?
60 calories per stick. 50% of those calories come from protein (24 cal), 50% from fat (28 cal), and 4 calories from carbs.
Is string cheese 'real' cheese?
Yes. Kraft Mozzarella String Cheese is a low-moisture part-skim mozzarella made from pasteurized part-skim milk, vinegar (used as the coagulant), salt, enzymes (non-animal microbial rennet), and vitamin A palmitate (a standard milk-product additive). The 'stringing' is a mechanical processing step that aligns the protein fibers.
How does it compare to Greek yogurt for protein?
String cheese is denser: 25 g protein per 100 g vs 16-18 g for plain Greek yogurt. But a single stick (24 g) delivers only 6 g protein vs a 5.3 oz yogurt cup (150 g) at 24 g protein. For grams-per-serving, yogurt wins; for grams-per-gram, string cheese wins. For sodium, yogurt wins by a wide margin.
Is string cheese keto-friendly?
Yes. 1 g carbs, 0 g sugar, 3.5 g fat, 6 g protein per stick fits all ketogenic protocols. The high protein-to-fat ratio (mozzarella is leaner than cheddar or harder cheeses) makes it a good lean-protein snack.
How much sodium per serving?
180 mg per stick — about 8% of the FDA daily limit (2300 mg). On a per-100 g basis (750 mg) that's high, but on a per-snack basis it's modest because the serving is small.
Is it 'high in protein' under FDA rules?
Per stick, 6 g of protein is 12% of the FDA 50 g Daily Value — meeting the threshold for 'good source of protein' but below 20% for 'high in protein.' Two sticks (12 g) would qualify for the 'high in protein' claim.
What enzymes does it contain?
The ingredient list specifies '(non-animal)' enzymes — typically microbial rennet derived from fungi. This makes the cheese suitable for most vegetarians (true animal-derived rennet, used in some artisanal cheeses, is not vegetarian).