Kraft: salty process cheese and boxed staples, with no trial of the brand

Kraft is a brand, and we found no study that tested a Kraft product by name. The closest trials used the same kinds of food. In 100 adults aged 60 or older, process cheese fortified with 600 IU of vitamin D3 a day for 2 months did not raise blood vitamin D. A second small test in 8 people found vitamin D2 was absorbed better from cheese than from water. The clear fact is sodium. Per 100 g in USDA records, Velveeta carries 1499 mg, Cheez Whiz 1638 mg and Stove Top chicken stuffing mix 1532 mg of dry mix. Two tablespoons of Cheez Whiz (33 g) come to about 540 mg, and these are older SR Legacy records whose recipes may have changed.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• Kraft Velveeta process cheese spread has 303 calories, 22 g fat and 1499 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g) in the USDA database. — USDA SR Legacy record, KRAFT VELVEETA Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 303 calories, fat 22 g, sodium 1499 mg
• Kraft Cheez Whiz cheese sauce has 276 calories, 21 g fat and 1638 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), so 2 tablespoons (33 g) carry about 540 mg sodium. — USDA SR Legacy record, KRAFT CHEEZ WHIZ Pasteurized Process Cheese Sauce, portion 2 tbsp = 33 g Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 276 calories, fat 21 g, sodium 1638 mg; 33 g about 540 mg sodium
• One slice (21 g) of Kraft Free Singles nonfat cheese product carries about 273 mg sodium, at 1298 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g). — USDA SR Legacy record, KRAFT FREE Singles American Nonfat Pasteurized Process Cheese Product, 1 slice = 21 g Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 148 calories, fat 1 g, sodium 1298 mg; 1 slice 21 g about 273 mg sodium
• A 1-cup (124 g) restaurant serving of Kraft macaroni and cheese has about 177 calories and 357 mg sodium, at 143 calories and 288 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g). — USDA SR Legacy record, APPLEBEE'S, KRAFT, Macaroni & Cheese, from kid's menu, 1 cup = 124 g Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 143 calories, fat 4.34 g, carbohydrate 21.08 g, sodium 288 mg
• Kraft Stove Top chicken stuffing mix has 1532 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g) dry mix, about 429 mg in a 0.99 oz (28 g) serving. — USDA SR Legacy record, Kraft, Stove Top Stuffing Mix Chicken Flavor, 1 NLEA serving = 28 g Evidence E source
  Per 100 g dry: 381 calories, fat 4.1 g, sodium 1532 mg

What your body absorbs

• In 100 adults aged 60 or older, process cheese fortified with 600 IU vitamin D3 a day for 2 months did not raise blood vitamin D, although vitamin D from cheese was well absorbed. — 100 men and women aged 60 or older; crossover of 8 younger and older adults (n = 100) Evidence B source
  No difference in 25-OHD, PTH or osteocalcin after 2 months; vitamin D2 absorbed more efficiently from cheese than from water

What it does to your health

• In 77 preschool children, a macaroni and cheese entree with 30% lower energy density cut their lunch energy intake by 18%. — 77 children aged 2-5 in a university day-care, 6 weekly lunches (n = 77) Evidence B source
  Entree energy intake -25% (72.3 calories); total lunch energy -18% (71.8 calories)

Safety, limits and interactions

• In 147 Finnish women, those who ate processed cheese had higher parathyroid hormone levels. — 147 healthy premenopausal women aged 31-43, Southern Finland (n = 147) Evidence C source
  Higher mean serum PTH among processed cheese consumers (P = 0.027)

What people believe that the data does not support

• In a Canadian database, up to 79.1% of foods in Kraft's Sensible Solutions categories qualified for its front-of-pack symbol, but only 4.1% carried it. — 10,487 packaged foods, Canadian database 2010-2011 (n = 10487) Evidence C source
  Qualified up to 79.1% vs carried 4.1%

Who this works differently for

• In 17 children aged 3 to 6, serving larger portions of macaroni and cheese raised entree intake and lowered fruit and vegetable intake. — 17 children aged 3-6, entree portions 100 to 400 g (n = 17) Evidence C source
  Larger portion increased entree intake (P < 0.01) and decreased fruit and vegetable intake (P < 0.0001)

The bottom line

Portions tell the same story at smaller scale. One 21 g slice of Kraft Free Singles has about 273 mg sodium. That is the nonfat product, at 148 calories and 1 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), and the regular Singles have no record in this database. Velveeta has 303 calories and 22 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g). A 0.99 oz (28 g) serving of Stove Top dry mix carries about 429 mg sodium before the butter that preparing it adds. A kids-menu cup of Kraft macaroni and cheese at Applebee's, 124 g, came to about 177 calories and 357 mg sodium, a restaurant serving rather than the boxed product made at home. Macaroni and cheese has been used in feeding studies with young children. In 77 preschoolers aged 2 to 5, an entree made 30% lower in energy density cut the energy they ate from it by 25% and from the whole lunch by 18%, using a dish formulated for the study. In 17 children aged 3 to 6, larger portions of macaroni and cheese, from 100 to 400 g, raised how much of it they ate and lowered what they ate of the fruit and vegetables beside it, in a design that was not randomized. In 147 healthy Finnish women aged 31 to 43, those who ate processed cheese had higher parathyroid hormone levels (P = 0.027). That is a one-time snapshot of processed cheese in general, and it cannot show cause. We found no study on Kraft products in kidney disease, pregnancy or with medicines. Kraft's own front-of-pack symbol, Sensible Solutions, was rare on shelves. In a Canadian database of 10,487 packaged foods from 2010 to 2011, up to 79.1% of foods in its categories qualified for the symbol and only 4.1% carried it. That finding is about labeling and says nothing about what is in the food.

Sources

1. krf-daily-r5-01 · food composition dataset
   KRAFT VELVEETA Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread (FDC 173448): Energy 303 kcal, Fat 22.0 g, Sodium 1499 mg per 100 g
   USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 2018, FDC 173448 (KRAFT VELVEETA Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread) · checked 2026-09-29
2. krf-daily-r5-02 · food composition dataset
   KRAFT CHEEZ WHIZ Pasteurized Process Cheese Sauce (FDC 172209): Energy 276 kcal, Fat 21.0 g, Sodium 1638 mg per 100 g; portion 2 tbsp = 33 g
   USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 2018, FDC 172209 (KRAFT CHEEZ WHIZ Pasteurized Process Cheese Sauce) · checked 2026-09-29
3. krf-daily-r5-03 · food composition dataset
   KRAFT FREE Singles American Nonfat Pasteurized Process Cheese Product (FDC 173447): Energy 148 kcal, Fat 1.0 g, Sodium 1298 mg per 100 g; portion 1 slice = 21 g
   USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 2018, FDC 173447 (KRAFT FREE Singles American Nonfat Pasteurized Process Cheese Product) · checked 2026-09-29
4. krf-daily-r5-04 · food composition dataset
   APPLEBEE'S, KRAFT, Macaroni & Cheese, from kid's menu (FDC 169010): Energy 143 kcal, Fat 4.34 g, Carbohydrate 21.08 g, Sodium 288 mg per 100 g; portion 1 cup = 124 g
   USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 2018, FDC 169010 (APPLEBEE'S, KRAFT, Macaroni & Cheese, from kid's menu) · checked 2026-09-29
5. krf-daily-r5-05 · food composition dataset
   Kraft, Stove Top Stuffing Mix Chicken Flavor (FDC 175079): Energy 381 kcal, Fat 4.1 g, Sodium 1532 mg per 100 g; portion 1 NLEA serving = 28 g (makes 1/2 cup prepared)
   USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 2018, FDC 175079 (Kraft, Stove Top Stuffing Mix Chicken Flavor) · checked 2026-09-29
6. krf-daily-r5-06 · RCT
   The first study was designed to determine the effect of 2 mo of daily consumption of vitamin D3-fortified (600 IU/d) process cheese on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD), parathyroid hormone (PTH), and osteocalcin (OC) concentrations among 100 older (> or =60 yr) men and women. ... There were no differences in 25-OHD, PTH, or OC after 2 mo of fortified cheese intake. ... Peak serum vitamin D and area under the curve were similar between younger (23 to 50 yr) and older (72 to 84 yr) adults, and vitamin D2 was absorbed more efficiently from cheese than from water.
   J Dairy Sci, 2005 · checked 2026-09-29
7. krf-daily-r5-08 · RCT
   Two versions of a macaroni and cheese entrée were formulated to differ in energy density while maintaining similar palatability. ... Decreasing the energy density of the entrée by 30% significantly (P<0.0001) reduced children's energy intake from the entrée by 25% (72.3+/-8.3 kcal) and total lunch energy intake by 18% (71.8+/-7.9 kcal).
   J Am Diet Assoc, 2008 · checked 2026-09-29
8. krf-daily-r5-07 · cross-sectional
   Mean S-PTH concentrations were higher among participants who consumed processed cheese (P = 0.027, ANCOVA) and less milk and other cheese than processed cheese (P = 0.030, ANCOVA).
   Public Health Nutr, 2009 · checked 2026-09-29
9. krf-daily-r5-10 · cross-sectional
   Up to 79.1% of the foods belonging to a Sensible Solutions™, category qualified for Sensible Solutions's™ symbol while only 4.1% of the foods carried the symbol.
   BMC Public Health, 2013 · checked 2026-09-29
10. krf-daily-r5-09 · controlled clinical trial
    A within-subject design was used to examine the effect of varying entrée portions (ie, 100, 160, 220, 280, 340, and 400 g) on children's ad libitum energy intake of macaroni and cheese and fixed portions of unsweetened applesauce, green beans, and whole-wheat roll served with the entree. ... Increasing portion size increased children's entrée intake (P < 0.01) and decreased intake of other foods served with the entrée, including fruit and vegetables (P < 0.0001).
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2012 · checked 2026-09-29