How Many Calories for Cheese?
30g (matchbox-sized piece) of cheese contains around 125 calories (415 kcal per 100g). Cheese is classified as Processed culinary ingredient / Processed food.
Calories by preparation
| Method | Calories | NOVA |
|---|---|---|
| 30g cheddar (matchbox-sized piece)Cheddar is calorie-dense — small portions add up fast | 125 | 3 |
| Grilled cheese sandwich (2 slices + 40g cheddar)Bread contributes most of the UPF markersSliced bread is typically NOVA 4. The cheese itself is NOVA 3 (processed but traditional). | 405 | 4 |
| Cheese & crackers (30g cheddar + 4 crackers)Choose your crackers carefullyDepends on the crackers — oatcakes = NOVA 2, Ritz = NOVA 4 (palm oil, flavourings, emulsifiers) | 265 | — |
Nutrition per 100g
| Nutrient | Per 100g | Per serving |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 415 kcal / 1723 kJ | 125 kcal |
| Protein | 24.9g | 7.5g |
| Carbohydrates | 2g | 0.6g |
| of which sugars | 0.1g | — |
| Fat | 34.2g | 10.3g |
| of which saturated | 21.3g | — |
| Fibre | 0g | — |
| Salt | 1.77g | — |
Serving size: 30g (matchbox-sized piece) · Source: Tesco product page, October 2025
Glucose impact
Low
Glucose risk
Cheddar contains virtually zero carbohydrate (around 0.1–2 g per 100 g), so it has negligible impact on blood glucose levels.
Processing level
Plain block cheddar is made from milk, salt, cultures and rennet — a traditional fermentation process. It is classified as NOVA 2 (processed culinary ingredient) or borderline NOVA 3 (processed food) depending on the classification system, but contains no ultra-processed additives.
Cheese at Tesco
Source: Tesco product page, October 2025
*Prices were correct at the time of collection and may have since changed. Check Tesco.com for current pricing.
What to watch for when shopping
High in saturated fat (21 g per 100 g) and salt (1.8 g per 100 g). A 30 g serving delivers around a third of the adult daily saturated fat limit. Processed cheese slices and cheese dips may contain emulsifiers and other additives, pushing the NOVA score to 3 or 4.
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