Calories in McDonald's Cheese

tasty Burger with meat and cheese

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For many people, a slice of cheese on a burger or sandwich makes it all the more better. With that in mind, McDonald's offers a large selection of sandwiches that come with cheese. Before adding a slice to your burger, consider the effect it has on your diet.

Nutrition Information

Each slice of pasteurized process American cheese on McDonald's menu items contains 50 calories, including 35 calories from fat, the company reports in its nutritional information. Each cheese slice has 3.5 g of total fat, which includes 2.5 g of saturated fat. The cheese has no trans fat, but each slice contains 15 mg of cholesterol. It also contains 230 mg of sodium per slice.

Significance

A slice of McDonald's cheese amounts to 2.5 percent of your total daily calories if you eat a 2,000-calorie diet. A food's calorie count tells you how much energy you body derives from it, the Food and Drug Administration reports. If you eat a 2,000-calorie diet, you should limit your overall fat intake to no more than 65 g per day, while saturated fat should be no more than one-third of the total, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports.

Considerations

Remember that the cheese on your sandwich contributes every little to the overall caloric content of your meal. With 150 calories, even the bun a McDonald's cheeseburger comes on has more calories than the cheese. You should consider the calorie content of your entire meal. If you are tying to watch what you eat or cut your calorie intake, skipping the cheese on your sandwich is an easy way to limit your daily intake slightly.