There is such a wide variety of cheese in the market that it can be overwhelming sometimes to know if one is better than the other. This is especially true when it comes to deciding between Swiss cheese and American cheese.
Swiss cheese is a popular choice when making sandwiches, quiches, or as a fondue. American cheese is also used on sandwiches but is more often used on hamburgers, making macaroni and cheese, or simply melting it into a creamy cheese dip.
But how do these two long-time favorites compare to each other? Does one have more nutritional value than the other? I am going to do a side-by-side comparison of both types of cheese to how they compare to each other.
I will be looking into the nutritional value of each cheese, examining everything from calories and fat content to vitamins and minerals, as well as how they compare price-wise.
Ingredients Comparison
To start off our comparison we first need to know what is in each type of cheese. Straightaway we can see that American cheese has many more ingredients than Swiss cheese.
American cheese contains anti-caking ingredients, acidity regulators, protein enrichers, and preservatives. Swiss cheese is made with pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, and enzymes.
The added ingredients in American cheese can be overwhelming at first, especially if you are someone who reads labels. But the added ingredients in American cheese are what make it so popular. The ingredients give American cheese its unique flavor and great melting ability.
You may be able to find a brand of American cheese that contains fewer ingredients but for the sake of this comparison, I am only comparing Walmart’s Great Value cheese, since it is more widely available than other brands.
Cheese Type |
Ingredients |
Swiss Cheese |
Pasteurized part-skim milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes |
American Cheese |
Milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, water,
Protein enrichers: milk protein concentrate, whey, cream,
Anticaking agents: tricalcium phosphate, modified food starch,
Acidity regulator: sodium citrate, salt, lactic acid, citric acid (used to acidify milk and separate the solids)
Preservative: sorbic acid
natural flavors, vitamin D3 |
Swiss Cheese vs American Cheese Nutritional Comparison
We just saw how Swiss and American cheese differ in ingredients so the next comparison we have to make is the nutritional content.
The serving size for a slice of Swiss cheese or American cheese varies slightly. So, in an effort to keep this comparison fair, I will only do a weight-for-weight comparison of 100 grams for each type of cheese.
You may eat a smaller or larger serving size of Swiss or American cheese but the purpose of this comparison is only to give us an idea of the nutritional value of each type of cheese. You can take the information you learn here and adjust it to fit your individual preference.
Best for Calorie Content
Right away we can see that both Swiss and American cheese are high in calories per serving. American cheese contains 32 more calories per serving than Swiss cheese.
Cheese Type |
Calorie Content |
|
Swiss Cheese |
334 kcal |
|
American Cheese |
366 kcal |
Best for Carbs & Sugar Content
Cheese, in general, is a low-carb, low-sugar food but in this comparison, American cheese has more carbs and sugar than Swiss cheese.
Cheese Type |
Carb Content Per Serving (100g) |
Sugar Content Per Serving (100g) |
|
Swiss Cheese |
2.1g |
1.23 g |
|
American Cheese |
4.78 |
2.26 |
Best for Protein Content
You might assume that American cheese would have a higher protein content than Swiss because of all of its added ingredients but that is not the case. Swiss cheese contains 24.7 grams of protein per serving while American cheese only contains 18.1 grams.
Cheese Type |
Calorie Content Per Serving (100g) |
|
Swiss Cheese |
24.7 g |
|
American Cheese |
18.1 |
Best for Fat Content
While the milk content in cheese makes it a high-protein food, it also makes it a high-fat food. Both Swiss and American cheese are high in fat but American cheese contains almost 6 grams more fat than Swiss cheese.
Also included in this comparison is the amount of unhealthy saturated fat in each type of cheese. Relatively speaking, both Swiss and American cheese are comparable when it comes to saturated fat but American cheese does contain a higher amount of saturated fat.
Cheese Type |
Fat Content Per Serving (100g) |
Saturated Fat Per Serving (100g) |
|
Swiss Cheese |
25 g |
16 g |
|
American Cheese |
30.7 g |
18.1 g |
Best for Sodium/Salt Content
Aside from milk, another main ingredient common in all types of cheese is salt. Where cheese is low in calories it overcompensates for it with salt content. Swiss cheese and American cheese are both very high in sodium/salt but American cheese contains almost double the amount.
Cheese Type |
Sodium/Salt Content Per Serving (100g) |
|
Swiss Cheese |
1370 mg |
|
American Cheese |
1670 mg |
Best for Vitamins/Minerals
When you think of vitamins in minerals in cheese, you are probably like me and only think of calcium. But as you can see from the chart below, cheese contains many more vitamins and minerals. American cheese is fortified with Vitamin D so it contains 300 times more Vitamin D than Swiss cheese. Swiss cheese has a higher amount of potassium, magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus.
Vitamin/Mineral |
Swiss Cheese Per Serving (100g) |
American Cheese Per Serving (100g) |
|
Calcium |
772 mg |
1040 mg |
|
Magnesium |
29 mg |
26 mg |
|
Potassium |
216 mg |
132 mg |
|
Zinc |
3.61 mg |
2.49 mg |
|
Phosphorous |
762 mg |
641 mg |
|
Vitamin A |
746 IU |
1130 IU |
|
Vitamin D |
18 IU |
301 IU |
Best for Flavor/Texture
This category is the more complicated one because flavor and texture preferences are so subjective. Swiss cheese and American cheese are very different types of cheese.
Swiss cheese is a soft cheese that has a sharp flavor. American cheese is also a soft cheese but it has a mild, buttery flavor. Both types of cheese melt easily but their distinct flavors make this category one that you will have to be the judge of.
Please help me out and vote below for your favorite cheese. Share your preference and see what others have chosen after your submission. (no personal information required)
Best for Price
The flavors of each type of cheese may be very different but they are very similar when it comes to price. Both types of cheese can be purchased for about the same price.
At the time of this article, you can purchase a package of Swiss cheese slices or American cheese slices for about $2.00. The price for each type of cheese will, of course, vary depending on which stores are in your area, any sales, or if you buy in bulk.
Overall Winner
Now for what we have all been waiting for – the winner of this comparison. All-in-all, both types of cheese are very similar to each other but there can only be one winner: Swiss cheese.
Swiss cheese has the lowest amount of calories, fat, carbs, and sodium content. Both Swiss and American cheese are winners when it comes to vitamins and minerals, flavor/texture, and price.
Ultimately, though, you decide who the real winner is. The final decision will come down to which type of cheese you prefer and enjoy eating.
Comparison Category |
Winner (Swiss Cheese or American Cheese) |
|
Best in Calorie Content |
Swiss |
|
Best in Carb and Sugar Content |
Swiss |
|
Best in Protein Content |
Swiss |
|
Best in Fat Content |
Swiss |
|
Best in Sodium/Salt Content |
Swiss |
|
Best in Vitamins/Minerals |
Both are winners |
|
Best in Flavor/Texture |
Both are winners |
|
Best in Price |
Both are winners |
Overall Winner |
Swiss Cheese |
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