The keto diet is very specific on the grams of carbs consumed per day. This is because the diet relies on ketosis to promote fat burning. So, your food choices have to be low-carb to achieve this.
Although milk is not allowed on the keto diet, high-fat dairy products are allowed. Cheese can be the perfect addition to your low-carb diet since they have high-fat content and contain small amounts of carbohydrates. However, are all types of cheese low-carb?
In today’s read we will answer the question, is American cheese keto? The conclusion we will make will be based on its nutritional value. We will also help you answer questions surrounding this variety on the ketogenic diet. After determining whether it is a keto-friendly cheese or not, we will give you tips to incorporate it into your diet. We will also provide you with a keto cheese list to help you on your weight loss journey.
Is American Cheese Keto?
Will you keep your carb intake low if you incorporated this high fat dairy product into your keto diet? Before we look into its carbohydrate count, let’s understand American cheese.
What is American Cheese?
American cheese is the variety without holes or pores. Originally, it was among the blended cheeses made from Colby and Cheddar. The ingredients changed because these blended varieties were no longer legally considered real cheese and had to be labeled as processed. Currently, the ingredients are different.
The ingredient list includes milk, whey protein concentrate, milk solids and fats, and additional lipids. There’s a wide variety of the American variety besides the yellow kind you know of. The popular American cheese variety which is yellow is made from whole milk. The other type is white and is made from skimmed milk. This one undergoes so much processing and is not considered real cheese by the USDA.
Is American Cheese Keto Friendly?
To answer this question, we need to look at the nutrition facts of this variety.
American Cheese Nutrition Facts
According to the USDA, one American cheese slice contains:
- Energy: 60 kcals
- Total carbs: 1.02 grams of carbs
- Dietary fiber: 0 grams of fiber
- Net carbs: 1.02 grams of net carbs
- Sugars: 0.602 grams of sugar
- Protein: 2.8 grams of protein
- Fat: 4.98 grams of fat
- Sodium: 256 mg of sodium
- Fatty acids, saturated: 2.83 grams of fat
- Fatty acids, monounsaturated: 1.06 grams of fat
- Fatty acids, polyunsaturated: 0.197 grams of fat
- Fatty acids, trans fats: 0.162 g of fat
- Cholesterol: 23 mg
Taking a look at the nutrition facts of America’s popular cheese, you can see that it is low carb, moderate in proteins, and high fat.
Can You Have American Cheese on a Low Carb Diet?
The keto diet allows for 20-50 grams per day of carbs. Considering that the cheese has 1 gram of carbs per ounce, it may appear as a good idea to include it in your keto diet.
However, in this case, how many carbs are in a slice of cheese is not the only thing in play! American cheese is heavily processed and that is why it is not considered as a real cheese.
Besides, it has a high sodium content which can increase your risk of developing high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases.
When eating clean keto, it is best to avoid American cheese intake.
Is Kraft American Cheese Keto-friendly?
You may be wondering if some of the American varieties can be considered keto. Kraft Singles American Slices are the most common varieties used in your burgers and other fast foods. Let’s see its nutrition facts.
Kraft American Cheese Nutrition Facts
In 100 g of Kraft American cheese, you will get:
- Energy: 316 kcals
- Total carbs: 10.5 grams of carbohydrates
- Dietary fiber: 0 grams of fiber
- Net carbs: 10.5 grams of net carbs
- Protein: 15.8 g of protein
- Total fat: 21 g of fat
- Sugars: 5.26 g of sugar
- Sodium: 1050 mg of sodium
- Cholesterol: 79 mg
This type of cheese has a high fat and protein content. However, its carb count is high to fit in the 25-50 grams carb limit on keto. This cheese is made from cheddar cheese, calcium phosphate, milk fat, skim milk, milk protein concentrate, whey, and sodium phosphate, and modifies food starch and mold inhibitors.
Ensure you read food’s nutrition label for hidden additives like mold inhibitors which increase the shelf-life of food but whose consumption can be bad for your health. Some cheeses also contain added starches like modified starch and potato starch which adds to your carb intake.
Although American cheese is a great source of protein, there are healthier alternatives to choose from when on a clean keto diet. American cheese is not your best choice of high fat dairy products on keto. If you’re looking to increase your fat intake and lower your carb intake, consider these keto-friendly cheese options.
Is Mozzarella Cheese Keto-friendly?
This type of cheese is one of the best alternatives for your strict keto diet. Mozzarella falls under the fresh category. It contains 0.68 grams of carbs per ounce serving. In terms of fat per ounce, you will get 6.26 grams of fat.
Besides the cheese has a moderate protein content providing you with 6.29 g of protein per serving size.
The nutrition facts also show that it has lower calories compared to other cheeses. Reducing calorie intake can help you lose weight as well.
Is Cheddar Cheese Keto-friendly?
Cheddar is among the hard cheeses you can have on keto. You will love this cheese because of its versatility. If you are not into strong flavors, you have the option of mild cheddar cheese.
What in terms of nutrition facts? This cheese contains a gram of carbs per ounce, 7 grams of protein, and 9.4 g of fat per ounce. So simply put, cheddar is keto-friendly!
Is Feta Cheese Keto?
“Is feta cheese keto?” is one of the most common questions beginners in the low-carb lifestyle ask. This type is made from sheep’s milk or a combination of sheep and goat milk.
You may have come across this type often in your salads and its salty and tangy taste has become a favorite flavor to your palate. But will eating this cheese kick you out of ketosis?
According to USDA, 100 g per serving of feta cheese contains:
- Energy: 273 kcal
- Protein: 3.09 g
- Total fat: 19.1 grams of fat
- Total saturated fatty acids: 11.2 grams of fat
- Fatty acids, monounsaturated: 4.18 grams of fat
- Cholesterol: 38 mg
- Total carbs: 5.58 grams of carbs
- Fiber: 0 g
- Total Sugar: 1.63 g
Feta cheese is keto-friendly.
How to Eat Cream Cheese on Keto
Cream cheese is another crowd’s favorite thanks to its creamy texture which makes it a wonderful spread! Is cream cheese keto approved? Absolutely!
The nutritional facts show that it contains only 1 gram of carbs per ounce. It provides you with 5 grams of protein and 9 grams of fat per ounce.
So how can you incorporate this ideal keto food into your diet?
- Make keto cheesecakes! Use low-carb flour for baking like almond flour and coconut flour.
- Use it as a spread! Have you ever spread this on your keto baked goods? You’re missing out!
- Use it as a dip for your non-starchy vegetables and low-carb fruits for additional flavor!
- Incorporate it into your egg recipes.
- Use it as a thickener in your soups and sauces for that extra creamy texture.
- It can be a great stuffing for your veggies and animal-based proteins.
- Whip up a cream cheese smoothie with your favorite keto fruit.
- Consider it for flavoring in your coffee.
- Try it in your pancakes.
There are more ways you can incorporate it into your diet to elevate your flavor profiles to the next level.
Other cheeses you can enjoy on keto include:
- Goat cheese: Among the hard cheeses with only 1 gram of carbs per ounce serving.
- Blue cheese: This contains a type of mold used to bring about their color and flavor profile. Blue cheese contains only a gram of carbs per ounce serving.
- Parmesan: This is a hard cheese with only 0.91 grams of carbs per ounce serving.
- Swiss cheese: This one will provide you with 1.53 g of carbs per ounce serving.
- Brie cheese: This one falls under the soft cheeses with the highest fat content. Brie cheese has 0.1 grams of carbs per ounce.
- Gruyere: This falls under the healthy cheeses. It is made from whole cow’s milk. It contains 0.1 grams of carbs per ounce serving.
- Gouda: This hard cheese will provide you with 1 gram of carbs per ounce serving.
When choosing cheeses on keto go for full-fat cheeses and not the low-fat varieties.
Is Cottage Cheese Keto-friendly?
Just like the answer to, is American cheese keto is no, cottage cheese isn’t as well. Full-fat cottage cheese is considered low-fat cheese. However, it is a great source of protein.
Cottage cheese contains 0.76 g of carbs, 1.27 g of fat, and 3.53 grams of protein per ounce. Compared to keto-approved cheeses, cottage cheese has a higher carb and protein content.
If you separate the major milk proteins (casein and whey), you will end up with this variety. It has most of its fat strained off to optimize protein content. It would be an even worse idea to go for low-fat cottage cheese on a diet that’s tailored to be high in fat.
Other cheeses to avoid are processed cheeses like spay or canned cheeses and ricotta cheeses.
Can I have Milk on Keto?
The concept of high-fat dairy products being keto while milk not being keto-approved confuses most people. Cheeses are relatively in carbohydrates which makes them ideal for keto. Milk, however, is high in carbs, especially sugars.
Milk’s carbohydrates come in the form of sugar lactose. According to the USDA, a cup of whole milk contains 11.5 grams of total carbs and no fiber. Its total sugars sit at 12 g per cup with all of them being lactose. A cup of low-fat milk contains 12.7 g of total carbs, which is higher than regular milk. Finally, a cup of non-fat or skim milk contains 12.1 g of total carbs.
The carb content of milk is higher than that of high-fat dairy products which explains why the former is not keto.
Key Takeaway
Is American cheese keto? Despite it being low carb, this cheese is best avoided on the keto diet. This is because of its overprocessing and high sodium content which can be detrimental to your health. Plus, it is not even considered real cheese!
There are real cheeses that are healthier alternatives to keto. These include gouda, goat cheese, parmesan, mozzarella, blue cheese, Swiss cheese, and cream cheese. Other cheeses to avoid on keto include ricotta and spray cheese.
How much American cheese do you take in a day? Which keto-approved cheese do you use in place of the American variety? We’d sure love to know!
