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Calories · American & British

Calories in a grilled cheese sandwich

A typical restaurant serving of a grilled cheese sandwich (one grilled cheese on white bread, about 116 g) is about 400 calories, usually 300–750.

Restaurant portions vary; this is a typical estimate, not a label. Also called grilled cheese, cheese toastie, toasted cheese sandwich.

~400
Grilled cheese sandwich

The usual range

Drawn on one 0–2,000 scale shared by every dish page, so plates compare at a glance.

Protein, carbs and fat

  • Protein13 g
  • Carbs33 g
  • Fat24 g

One serving

Serving
one grilled cheese on white bread
Weight
~116 g
Per 100 g
~343

The dish

About a grilled cheese sandwich

A grilled cheese is just bread, cheese and the butter it's toasted in, so fat lands near half its energy. Café versions on thick sourdough with two cheeses or bacon run well above a diner one.

Ways it comes

One dish, a few numbers

Grilled cheese sandwich · rough numbers

  • With cheddar instead of American~430

What moves the number

Why one plate is 300 and another 750

  • Butter used on the griddle
  • Amount and type of cheese
  • Thick sourdough or extra fillings like bacon

Ordering lighter

If you want a lighter plate

  • Pair it with tomato soup and skip the fries
  • Choose a thinner bread
  • Share a deluxe one

Side by side

Next to other American & British dishes

American & British · typical restaurant servingAll about American & British food →

  • Hot dog~300one beef hot dog in a white bun with mustard · usually 250–650
  • Mac and cheese~340one restaurant side, roughly a heaped cup · usually 250–1,000
  • Clam chowder~350one bowl of New England chowder, about 1½ cups · usually 200–900
  • Sausage roll~350one bakery sausage roll in flaky pastry · usually 250–550
  • Caesar salad~400one starter salad with about 45 g of dressing · usually 250–800
  • Grilled cheese sandwich~400one grilled cheese on white bread · usually 300–750
  • BLT~420one café or diner BLT, no sides · usually 300–650
  • Onion rings~420one side order of 8 to 10 rings · usually 300–1,000
  • Grilled salmon~440one restaurant fillet, no sides · usually 300–650
  • French fries~490one restaurant side of fries · usually 250–700
  • Shepherd's pie~490one pub portion · usually 350–750
  • BBQ ribs~530a half rack of sauced pork ribs, about 6 ribs · usually 450–1,400

In PlateDiary

A rough number for the dishes you save — only if you want one.

Off unless you turn them on

Calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and, when PlateDiary AI reads your photo of the table, each dish gets one rough “~” number. Accept it or change it; a number you correct is remembered for that dish. With Calories off, the app looks exactly as it did before.

A read sends small pictures of the cut-out dishes, with the place's name as a hint — never the table photo, faces or your location. Calorie numbers never go to analytics, and nothing is written to a health app. PlateDiary AI starts with free tries; here is how it works.

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How these numbers were made

Method and sources

Last reviewed

Restaurant portions and cooking vary, so these are typical estimates for one serving, built from the sources below. Treat it as a rough number: your plate may land anywhere in the range.

If you manage a health condition, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.

AI helped draft this page; every number was checked against the sources.

  1. USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS 2021–2023) — Grilled cheese sandwich, American cheese, on white bread, FDC 2705802
  2. USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS 2021–2023) — Grilled cheese sandwich, cheddar cheese, on white bread, FDC 2705804

Questions

Questions people ask.

How many calories are in a grilled cheese sandwich?

A typical restaurant serving of a grilled cheese sandwich (one grilled cheese on white bread, about 116 g) is about 400 calories, usually 300–750. The number depends mostly on the portion and how it is cooked.

Is a grilled cheese sandwich high in calories?

About 400 for one on white bread. The butter and cheese put fat near half its energy.

Is cheddar higher than American cheese?

A little: about 430 with cheddar.

What changes the calories in a grilled cheese sandwich?

Butter used on the griddle. Amount and type of cheese.

How can I order a grilled cheese sandwich lighter?

Pair it with tomato soup and skip the fries. Choose a thinner bread.

Can PlateDiary show calories for the dishes I eat out?

Yes, if you want it to: calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and each dish you save from a photo of the table gets one rough “~” number you can accept or change.