Buttermilk vs. Mayonnaise

Nutrition comparison of Buttermilk and Mayonnaise


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

We compared the nutritional contents of buttermilk versus mayonnaise (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in buttermilk and mayonnaise:

  • Buttermilk has 74% less cholesterol than mayonnaise.
  • Buttermilk has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
  • Buttermilk is an excellent source of calcium.
  • Mayonnaise has 7.5 times less sugar than buttermilk.
  • Mayonnaise is an excellent source of Vitamin K.
Detailed nutritional comparison of buttermilk and mayonnaise 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: Buttermilk (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole) and Mayonnaise (Salad dressing, mayonnaise, regular) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Buttermilk src
Image of Mayonnaise src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Mayonnaise is high in calories and buttermilk has 91% less calories than mayonnaise - mayonnaise has 680 calories per 100 grams and buttermilk has 62 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, buttermilk is heavier in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to mayonnaise per calorie. Buttermilk has a macronutrient ratio of 21:32:48 and for mayonnaise, 1:0:99 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Buttermilk Mayonnaise
Protein 21% 1%
Carbohydrates 32% ~
Fat 48% 99%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both mayonnaise and buttermilk are low in carbohydrates - mayonnaise has 0.57g of total carbs per 100 grams and buttermilk has 4.9g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in mayonnaise and buttermilk are both made of 100% sugar.

sugar

Mayonnaise has 7.5 times less sugar than buttermilk - mayonnaise has 0.57g of sugar per 100 grams and buttermilk has 4.9g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Buttermilk has 234% more protein than mayonnaise - mayonnaise has 0.96g of protein per 100 grams and buttermilk has 3.2g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Mayonnaise is high in saturated fat and buttermilk has 84% less saturated fat than mayonnaise - mayonnaise has 11.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and buttermilk has 1.9g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both mayonnaise and buttermilk are low in trans fat - mayonnaise has 0.19g of trans fat per 100 grams and buttermilk does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Buttermilk has 74% less cholesterol than mayonnaise - mayonnaise has 42mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and buttermilk has 11mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Buttermilk has 194% more Vitamin A than mayonnaise - mayonnaise has 16ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and buttermilk has 47ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Buttermilk has 643% more Vitamin D than mayonnaise - mayonnaise has 7iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and buttermilk has 52iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Mayonnaise has 45 times more Vitamin E than buttermilk - mayonnaise has 3.3mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Mayonnaise is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 542 times more Vitamin K than buttermilk - mayonnaise has 163ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Buttermilk has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both buttermilk and mayonnaise contain significant amounts of folate.

Buttermilk Mayonnaise
Thiamin 0.047 MG 0.01 MG
Riboflavin 0.172 MG 0.019 MG
Niacin 0.09 MG ~
Pantothenic acid 0.38 MG 0.172 MG
Vitamin B6 0.036 MG 0.008 MG
Folate 5 UG 5 UG
Vitamin B12 0.46 UG 0.12 UG

Minerals

calcium

Buttermilk is an excellent source of calcium and it has 13 times more calcium than mayonnaise - mayonnaise has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and buttermilk has 115mg of calcium.

iron

Mayonnaise and buttermilk contain similar amounts of iron - mayonnaise has 0.21mg of iron per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.03mg of iron.

potassium

Buttermilk has 575% more potassium than mayonnaise - mayonnaise has 20mg of potassium per 100 grams and buttermilk has 135mg 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 buttermilk and mayonnaise contain small amounts of beta-carotene.

Buttermilk Mayonnaise
beta-carotene 7 UG 6 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 12 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, mayonnaise has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than buttermilk per 100 grams.

Buttermilk Mayonnaise
alpha linoleic acid 0.076 G 5.456 G
DHA ~ 0.005 G
Total 0.076 G 5.461 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, mayonnaise has more linoleic acid than buttermilk per 100 grams.

Buttermilk Mayonnaise
linoleic acid 0.122 G 39.146 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.125 G
Total 0.122 G 39.271 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: Buttermilk (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole) and Mayonnaise (Salad dressing, mayonnaise, regular) .

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FAQ

Does mayonnaise or buttermilk contain more calories in 100 grams?
Mayonnaise is high in calories and buttermilk has 90% less calories than mayonnaise - mayonnaise has 680 calories in 100g and buttermilk has 62 calories.

Does mayonnaise or buttermilk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both mayonnaise and buttermilk are low in carbohydrates - mayonnaise has 0.57g of carbs for 100g and buttermilk has 4.9g of carbohydrates. the carbs in mayonnaise and buttermilk are both made of 100% sugar.

Does mayonnaise or buttermilk contain more calcium?
Buttermilk is a rich source of calcium and it has 13 times more calcium than mayonnaise - mayonnaise has 8mg of calcium in 100 grams and buttermilk has 115mg of calcium.