Butter, Unsalted vs. Cheddar Cheese
Nutrition comparison of Butter, Unsalted and Cheddar Cheese
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
butter, unsalted
versus
cheddar cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in butter, unsalted and cheddar cheese:
- Both cheddar cheese and butter, unsalted are high in Vitamin A, calories and saturated fat.
- Cheddar cheese has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
- Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of calcium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Butter, Unsalted (Butter, without salt) and Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both cheddar cheese and butter, unsalted are high in calories. Butter, unsalted has 78% more calories than cheddar cheese - cheddar cheese has 403 calories per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 717 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, butter, unsalted is much lighter in protein, much heavier in fat and similar to cheddar cheese for carbs. Butter, unsalted has a macronutrient ratio of 1:0:100 and for cheddar cheese, 23:3:74 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Butter, Unsalted | Cheddar Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 1% | 23% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 3% |
| Fat | 100% | 74% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both cheddar cheese and butter, unsalted are low in carbohydrates - cheddar cheese has 3.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 0.06g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Cheddar cheese and butter, unsalted contain similar amounts of sugar - cheddar cheese has 0.48g of sugar per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 0.06g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 25 times more protein than butter, unsalted - cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 0.85g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both cheddar cheese and butter, unsalted are high in saturated fat. Butter, unsalted has 168% more saturated fat than cheddar cheese - cheddar cheese has 18.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 50.5g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Butter, unsalted is high in cholesterol and cheddar cheese has 54% less cholesterol than butter, unsalted - cheddar cheese has 99mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 215mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Both cheddar cheese and butter, unsalted are high in Vitamin A. Butter, unsalted has 103% more Vitamin A than cheddar cheese - cheddar cheese has 337ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 684ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Cheddar cheese has more Vitamin D than butter, unsalted - cheddar cheese has 24iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and butter, unsalted does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Butter, unsalted has 227% more Vitamin E than cheddar cheese - cheddar cheese has 0.71mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 2.3mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cheddar cheese and butter, unsalted contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cheddar cheese has 2.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cheddar cheese has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Butter, Unsalted | Cheddar Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.005 MG | 0.029 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.034 MG | 0.428 MG |
| Niacin | 0.042 MG | 0.059 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.11 MG | 0.41 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.003 MG | 0.066 MG |
| Folate | 3 UG | 27 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.17 UG | 1.1 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of calcium and it has 28 times more calcium than butter, unsalted - cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 24mg of calcium.
iron
Cheddar cheese and butter, unsalted contain similar amounts of iron - cheddar cheese has 0.14mg of iron per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 0.02mg of iron.
potassium
Cheddar cheese has 217% more potassium than butter, unsalted - cheddar cheese has 76mg of potassium per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 24mg 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, both butter, unsalted and cheddar cheese contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Butter, Unsalted | Cheddar Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 158 UG | 85 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, butter, unsalted has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cheddar cheese per 100 grams, however, cheddar cheese contains more dpa than butter, unsalted per 100 grams.
| Butter, Unsalted | Cheddar Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 1.18 G | 0.114 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.001 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.017 G |
| Total | 1.18 G | 0.142 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both butter, unsalted and cheddar cheese contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Butter, Unsalted | Cheddar Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.036 G |
| linoleic acid | 1.83 G | 1.171 G |
| Total | 1.83 G | 1.207 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: Butter, Unsalted (Butter, without salt) and Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) .
Butter, Unsalted g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cheddar Cheese g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does cheddar cheese or butter, unsalted contain more calories in 100 grams?Both cheddar cheese and butter, unsalted are high in calories. Butter, unsalted has 80% more calories than cheddar cheese - cheddar cheese has 403 calories in 100g and butter, unsalted has 717 calories.
Does cheddar cheese or butter, unsalted contain more calcium?
Cheddar cheese is a rich source of calcium and it has 28 times more calcium than butter, unsalted - cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium in 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 24mg of calcium.