Butter, Unsalted vs. Cheese

Nutrition comparison of Butter, Unsalted and 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 cheese (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in butter, unsalted and cheese:

  • Both cheese and butter, unsalted are high in Vitamin A, calories and saturated fat.
  • Cheese has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
  • Cheese is an excellent source of calcium and protein.
Detailed nutritional comparison of butter, unsalted and cheese 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: Butter, Unsalted (Butter, without salt) and Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Butter, Unsalted src
Image of Cheese src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both cheese and butter, unsalted are high in calories. Butter, unsalted has 87% more calories than cheese - cheese has 384 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 cheese for carbs. Butter, unsalted has a macronutrient ratio of 1:0:100 and for cheese, 25:0:75 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Butter, Unsalted Cheese
Protein 1% 25%
Carbohydrates ~ ~
Fat 100% 75%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both cheese and butter, unsalted are low in carbohydrates - cheese has 0.13g of total carbs per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 0.06g of carbohydrates.

sugar

Butter, unsalted and cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - butter, unsalted has 0.06g of sugar per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 26 times more protein than butter, unsalted - cheese has 23.5g of protein per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 0.85g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both cheese and butter, unsalted are high in saturated fat. Butter, unsalted has 214% more saturated fat than cheese - cheese has 16.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 50.5g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Butter, unsalted is high in cholesterol and cheese has 56% less cholesterol than butter, unsalted - cheese has 95mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 215mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Both cheese and butter, unsalted are high in Vitamin A. Butter, unsalted has 293% more Vitamin A than cheese - cheese has 174ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 684ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Cheese has more Vitamin D than butter, unsalted - cheese has 21iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and butter, unsalted does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Butter, unsalted has 828% more Vitamin E than cheese - cheese has 0.25mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 2.3mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Cheese and butter, unsalted contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cheese has 2.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 7ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Cheese has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.

Butter, Unsalted Cheese
Thiamin 0.005 MG 0.023 MG
Riboflavin 0.034 MG 0.318 MG
Niacin 0.042 MG 0.114 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.11 MG 0.249 MG
Vitamin B6 0.003 MG 0.061 MG
Folate 3 UG 13 UG
Vitamin B12 0.17 UG 1.23 UG

Minerals

calcium

Cheese is an excellent source of calcium and it has 26 times more calcium than butter, unsalted - cheese has 659mg of calcium per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 24mg of calcium.

iron

Cheese has 28 times more iron than butter, unsalted - cheese has 0.59mg of iron per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 0.02mg of iron.

potassium

Cheese has 254% more potassium than butter, unsalted - cheese has 85mg 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,

Butter, Unsalted Cheese
beta-carotene 158 UG 56 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Butter, Unsalted Cheese
alpha linoleic acid 1.18 G 0.332 G
Total 1.18 G 0.332 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, butter, unsalted has more linoleic acid than cheese per 100 grams.

Butter, Unsalted Cheese
other omega 6 0.138 G ~
linoleic acid 1.83 G 0.532 G
Total 1.968 G 0.532 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Butter, Unsalted or Cheese .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Butter, Unsalted (Butter, without salt) and Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) .

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FAQ

Does cheese or butter, unsalted contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both cheese and butter, unsalted are high in calories. Butter, unsalted has 90% more calories than cheese - cheese has 384 calories in 100g and butter, unsalted has 717 calories.

Does cheese or butter, unsalted contain more calcium?
Cheese is a rich source of calcium and it has 26 times more calcium than butter, unsalted - cheese has 659mg of calcium in 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 24mg of calcium.