Buttermilk vs. Cheese

Nutrition comparison of Buttermilk and Cheese


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

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

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

  • Both cheese and buttermilk are high in calcium.
  • Buttermilk has 7.6 times less cholesterol than cheese.
  • Cheese has more folate and Vitamin B12.
  • Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and protein.
Detailed nutritional comparison of buttermilk 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: Buttermilk (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole) and Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Buttermilk src
Image of Cheese src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Cheese is high in calories and buttermilk has 84% less calories than cheese - cheese has 384 calories per 100 grams and buttermilk has 62 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, buttermilk is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to cheese per calorie. Buttermilk has a macronutrient ratio of 21:32:48 and for cheese, 25:0:75 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Buttermilk Cheese
Protein 21% 25%
Carbohydrates 32% ~
Fat 48% 75%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both cheese and buttermilk are low in carbohydrates - cheese has 0.13g of total carbs per 100 grams and buttermilk has 4.9g of carbohydrates.

sugar

Cheese has less sugar than buttermilk - buttermilk has 4.9g of sugar per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 633% more protein than buttermilk - cheese has 23.5g of protein per 100 grams and buttermilk has 3.2g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Cheese is high in saturated fat and buttermilk has 88% less saturated fat than cheese - cheese has 16.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and buttermilk has 1.9g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Buttermilk has 7.6 times less cholesterol than cheese - cheese has 95mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and buttermilk has 11mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 270% more Vitamin A than buttermilk - cheese has 174ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and buttermilk has 47ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Buttermilk has 148% more Vitamin D than cheese - cheese has 21iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and buttermilk has 52iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Cheese and buttermilk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cheese has 0.25mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Cheese and buttermilk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cheese has 2.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Buttermilk Cheese
Thiamin 0.047 MG 0.023 MG
Riboflavin 0.172 MG 0.318 MG
Niacin 0.09 MG 0.114 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.38 MG 0.249 MG
Vitamin B6 0.036 MG 0.061 MG
Folate 5 UG 13 UG
Vitamin B12 0.46 UG 1.23 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both cheese and buttermilk are high in calcium. Cheese has 473% more calcium than buttermilk - cheese has 659mg of calcium per 100 grams and buttermilk has 115mg of calcium.

iron

Cheese has 18 times more iron than buttermilk - cheese has 0.59mg of iron per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.03mg of iron.

potassium

Buttermilk has 59% more potassium than cheese - cheese has 85mg 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,

Buttermilk Cheese
beta-carotene 7 UG 56 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Buttermilk Cheese
alpha linoleic acid 0.076 G 0.332 G
Total 0.076 G 0.332 G

omega 6s

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

Buttermilk Cheese
linoleic acid 0.122 G 0.532 G
Total 0.122 G 0.532 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 Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) .

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FAQ

Does cheese or buttermilk contain more calories in 100 grams?
Cheese is high in calories and buttermilk has 80% less calories than cheese - cheese has 384 calories in 100g and buttermilk has 62 calories.

Does cheese or buttermilk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both cheese and buttermilk are low in carbohydrates - cheese has 0.13g of carbs for 100g and buttermilk has 4.9g of carbohydrates.

Does cheese or buttermilk contain more calcium?
Both cheese and buttermilk are high in calcium. Cheese has 470% more calcium than buttermilk - cheese has 659mg of calcium in 100 grams and buttermilk has 115mg of calcium.