Kraft Mozzarella String Cheese: 6g Protein per Stick, Labelgrade B+

Labelgrade: B+ 80 / 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.

💪
Protein
88/100
🍬
Sugar
100/100
🧂
Sodium
55/100
📋
Ingredients
82/100
🌾
Fiber
30/100

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 B+ (80 / 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

DimensionGradeScoreWhy
Protein densityA-88 / 10025 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 qualityB+82 / 100Five 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 loadA+100 / 1000 g sugar — perfect
Sodium loadC-55 / 100180 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
FiberF30 / 1000 g, expected for cheese
OverallB+80 / 100A 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

ProductProtein per 100 gSodium per 100 gCalories per 100 gIngredients
Kraft Mozzarella String Cheese25 g750 mg2505
Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt18 g65 mg902
Good Culture Cottage Cheese (Classic)19 g245 mg844
Plain cooked chicken breast31 g~75 mg1651
Eggland’s Best Liquid Egg Whites11 g163 mg541

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:

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.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrient Per Serving (1 stick (24 g))
Calories60
Protein6g
Total Fat3.5g
Saturated Fat2g
Trans Fat0g
Total Carbohydrates1g
Dietary Fiber0g
Total Sugars0g
Added Sugars0g
Sodium180mg
Cholesterol10mg
Calcium140mg
Iron0mg
Potassium0mg
Scope: This page applies specifically to Kraft Mozzarella String Cheese Snacks (20 oz (566 g)) · UPC 021000044719. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ. Manufacturers periodically reformulate — always check the actual product label.

Where to buy

Links below are affiliate links. Buying through them may earn Labelgrade a commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure. The Labelgrade score is not affected by affiliate relationships — see methodology.

Search links are convenience links that may not land on the exact product variant we covered. Always verify the package label (size, UPC) before purchasing.

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).

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Last verified: 2026-05-27