How many calories are in a string cheese stick?

A standard 28g stick is 83 calories. Per 100g, the low moisture part skim mozzarella it is made from is 295 calories, lighter than cheddar at 408 calories per 100g and swiss cheese at 393 calories per 100g, because skimming takes fat out of the milk before the cheese is made.

Is string cheese good for you?

For a packaged snack, yes. One stick is 83 calories with 6.7g of protein and 195mg of calcium, and it survives a few hours in a lunchbox. Sodium is the catch: 666mg of sodium per 100g works out near 186mg a stick, which adds up quickly if you eat three.

Is string cheese keto-friendly?

Yes, and it is close to ideal for it. 5.6g of carbs per 100g works out to about 1.6g in a stick, while 19.8g of fat per 100g and 23.8g of protein per 100g are the ratio keto asks for. It also travels without refrigeration for a few hours, which is most of why it gets eaten.

Why does string cheese peel into strings?

Because of how it is made rather than what is in it. Low moisture mozzarella is heated and stretched in one direction, which lines the milk proteins up into parallel bundles, and the strands separate along those lines. Cheddar and swiss cheese are never stretched, so they crumble instead. Peeling changes nothing about the 295 calories per 100g, though it does make a stick last longer.

String cheese vs cheddar: which is the better snack?

String cheese, if portion size is the problem. 295 calories per 100g against cheddar at 408 calories per 100g makes it lighter per gram, and it arrives in a 28g stick you cannot casually double. Cheddar carries slightly more calcium, 707mg of calcium per 100g against 697mg of calcium per 100g here, so the real difference is the packaging.

Is string cheese real cheese?

Yes. It is low moisture part skim mozzarella, the same cheese that goes on a pizza, formed into sticks. That is what the 23.8g of protein per 100g and 697mg of calcium per 100g describe. Processed products such as american cheese are a different thing and carry far more salt, 1,670mg of sodium per 100g.

How much string cheese can I eat in a day?

One or two sticks fits most days, 83 to 165 calories. Sodium is the limit rather than calories: at 666mg of sodium per 100g, three sticks come to about 560mg before anything else you eat that day. Pair a stick with fruit rather than crackers when it is standing in for a meal.

Is string cheese lactose free?

Nearly. Stretched and aged cheeses lose most of their lactose with the whey, and what remains here is 1.9g of sugar per 100g, roughly half a gram in a stick. Most people who avoid milk handle it without trouble, though it is not labelled lactose free and severe intolerance is a different question.

Does string cheese need refrigeration?

For storage yes, but it holds up out of the fridge for a few hours. Low moisture mozzarella carries less water than fresh mozzarella, which is exactly why it survives until lunchtime in a bag. Do not leave it out overnight, and once it starts sweating oil it has been warm too long.

All Foods

Calories in String Cheese

USDA Verified · FDC 171244 · Aug 2026

83 calories

per 1 stick (28g)

23.8g

Protein

5.6g

Carbs

19.8g

Fat

Fiber

Per 100g raw

Log String Cheese in one photo

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