Cheddar Cheese vs. Bittersweet Chocolate

Nutrition comparison of Cheddar Cheese and Bittersweet Chocolate


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cheddar cheese versus bittersweet chocolate (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheddar cheese and bittersweet chocolate:

  • Both bittersweet chocolate and cheddar cheese are high in calcium, calories, protein and saturated fat.
  • Bittersweet chocolate has 48.5 times less cholesterol than cheddar cheese.
  • Bittersweet chocolate has more thiamin and niacin, however, cheddar cheese contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
  • Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
  • Cheddar cheese has more beta-carotene than bittersweet chocolate, however, bittersweet chocolate contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than cheddar cheese.
  • Cheddar cheese has signficantly less carbohydrates than bittersweet chocolate.
  • Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more dpa than bittersweet chocolate.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cheddar cheese and bittersweet chocolate is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Cheddar Cheese src
Image of Bittersweet Chocolate src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both bittersweet chocolate and cheddar cheese are high in calories. Bittersweet chocolate has 59% more calories than cheddar cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, cheddar cheese is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to bittersweet chocolate for fat. Cheddar cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 23:3:74 and for bittersweet chocolate, 9:18:73 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cheddar Cheese Bittersweet Chocolate
Protein 23% 9%
Carbohydrates 3% 18%
Fat 74% 73%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Cheddar cheese has signficantly less carbohydrates than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 28.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than cheddar cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 16.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cheddar cheese does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Bittersweet chocolate and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - bittersweet chocolate has 0.91g of sugar per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.48g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Both bittersweet chocolate and cheddar cheese are high in protein. Cheddar cheese has 60% more protein than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 14.3g of protein per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both bittersweet chocolate and cheddar cheese are high in saturated fat. Bittersweet chocolate has 71% more saturated fat than cheddar cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 32.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 18.9g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Bittersweet chocolate has 48.5 times less cholesterol than cheddar cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 2mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 99mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than bittersweet chocolate - cheddar cheese has 337ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Cheddar cheese has more Vitamin D than bittersweet chocolate - cheddar cheese has 24iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Bittersweet chocolate and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - bittersweet chocolate has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.71mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Bittersweet chocolate and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - bittersweet chocolate has 9.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 2.4ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Bittersweet chocolate has more thiamin and niacin, however, cheddar cheese contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both cheddar cheese and bittersweet chocolate contain significant amounts of folate.

Cheddar Cheese Bittersweet Chocolate
Thiamin 0.029 MG 0.147 MG
Riboflavin 0.428 MG 0.1 MG
Niacin 0.059 MG 1.355 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.41 MG 0.168 MG
Vitamin B6 0.066 MG 0.027 MG
Folate 27 UG 28 UG
Vitamin B12 1.1 UG ~

Minerals

calcium

Both bittersweet chocolate and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 603% more calcium than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.

iron

Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of iron and it has 123 times more iron than cheddar cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.14mg of iron.

potassium

Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of potassium and it has 992% more potassium than cheddar cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 76mg of potassium.

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

carotenoids

Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]

For specific types of carotenoids, cheddar cheese has more beta-carotene than bittersweet chocolate per 100 grams, however, bittersweet chocolate contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than cheddar cheese per 100 grams.

Cheddar Cheese Bittersweet Chocolate
beta-carotene 85 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 38 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more DPA than bittersweet chocolate per 100 grams. Both cheddar cheese and bittersweet chocolate contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Cheddar Cheese Bittersweet Chocolate
alpha linoleic acid 0.114 G 0.117 G
DHA 0.001 G ~
EPA 0.01 G ~
DPA 0.017 G ~
Total 0.142 G 0.117 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cheddar cheese and bittersweet chocolate contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Cheddar Cheese Bittersweet Chocolate
other omega 6 0.048 G 0.553 G
linoleic acid 1.171 G 1.435 G
Total 1.219 G 1.988 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) .

Cheddar Cheese g

()
Daily Values (%)

Bittersweet Chocolate g

()
KCAL %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does bittersweet chocolate or cheddar cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both bittersweet chocolate and cheddar cheese are high in calories. Bittersweet chocolate has 60% more calories than cheddar cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories in 100g and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.

Does bittersweet chocolate or cheddar cheese contain more calcium?
Both bittersweet chocolate and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 600% more calcium than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.

Does bittersweet chocolate or cheddar cheese contain more iron?
Bittersweet chocolate is an abundant source of iron and it has 123 times more iron than cheddar cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.14mg of iron.

Does bittersweet chocolate or cheddar cheese contain more potassium?
Bittersweet chocolate is a rich source of potassium and it has 990% more potassium than cheddar cheese - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 76mg of potassium.