Part-Skim Mozzarella Has About 70–90 Calories per Ounce

Use about 70–90 calories for a 1-ounce label serving (usually rounded to 28 g) of part-skim mozzarella, then check the package for the best product-specific number. A USDA reference works out to about 71 calories per 28 g, while current shredded products reviewed here list 80 or 90 calories for 28 g.

Moisture helps explain the variation: lower-moisture cheese can pack more solids into the same weight. However, moisture is not the only variable; the product’s exact formulation and label values also matter.

Nutrition in 28 g of part-skim mozzarella

The USDA FoodData Central record for “Cheese, mozzarella, part skim milk,” with a publication date of April 1, 2019, reports nutrients per 100 g. Scaled to a 28 g portion, it provides approximately the following (USDA FoodData Central):

Nutrient	Per 28 g
Calories	71
Protein	6.8 g
Total fat	4.5 g
Carbohydrate	0.8 g
Sodium	173 mg
Calcium	219 mg

These are calculated reference values, not a promise for every package. The USDA record lists 254 calories, 24.26 g protein, 15.92 g fat, 2.77 g carbohydrate, 619 mg sodium and 782 mg calcium per 100 g.

Branded low-moisture shreds illustrate the product-to-product spread:

• Kraft lists 80 calories, 7 g protein, 6 g fat, 1 g carbohydrate and 150 mg sodium per 1/4 cup (28 g) (Kraft Natural Cheese, accessed September 22, 2026).
• Borden lists 90 calories, 7 g protein, 6 g fat, 2 g carbohydrate and 180 mg sodium per 1/4 cup (28 g) (Borden Cheese, accessed September 22, 2026).

That 71–90 calorie spread is why a package label should take priority when tracking a specific cheese.

Portion estimates for shredded mozzarella

Using the Borden label as a concrete 90-calorie example:

Portion	Weight	Calories	Protein
2 tbsp	14 g	45	3.5 g
1/4 cup	28 g	90	7 g
1/2 cup	56 g	180	14 g
1 cup	112 g	360	28 g

The tablespoon and larger-cup figures are proportional estimates. Shreds settle and compress, so weighing the cheese is more repeatable than filling a measuring cup.

What “part-skim” means

“Part-skim” does not mean exactly half the fat was removed. Under the U.S. standards of identity, part-skim mozzarella and low-moisture part-skim mozzarella contain at least 30% but less than 45% milkfat on a solids basis (21 CFR 133.157 and 21 CFR 133.158). That does not mean 30%–45% of the cheese’s total weight is fat, because the cheese also contains water.

USDA’s mozzarella procurement specifications distinguish the two styles by moisture: part-skim mozzarella is more than 52% and no more than 60% moisture, while low-moisture part-skim mozzarella is more than 45% and no more than 52% moisture (USDA specifications, effective September 24, 2012). Both use the same 30%–under-45% milkfat range on a dry-solids basis.

How to log your serving

Start with the grams and calories on your package:

Calories eaten = calories per labeled serving × grams eaten ÷ grams per serving

For cheese labeled 90 calories per 28 g:

• 20 g: 90 × 20 ÷ 28 = 64 calories
• 40 g: 90 × 40 ÷ 28 = 129 calories
• 75 g: 90 × 75 ÷ 28 = 241 calories

The FDA notes that a Nutrition Facts serving size reflects the amount people typically consume, not a recommended amount (FDA). If a recipe uses an entire 8-ounce Borden bag, its label indicates eight servings, so the full package comes to 720 calories.

For an unlabeled piece of part-skim mozzarella, about 80 calories per 28 g is a practical midpoint estimate. For packaged shreds, slices or string cheese, use the product’s label and weigh the portion when precision matters.