Cheese vs. Milk

Nutrition comparison of Cheese and Milk


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

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

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

  • Both milk and cheese are high in calcium.
  • Cheese has more folate and Vitamin B12.
  • Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and protein.
  • Milk has 10.8 times less cholesterol than cheese.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cheese and milk 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: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Cheese src
Image of Milk src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Cheese is high in calories and milk has 87% less calories than cheese - milk has 50 calories per 100 grams and cheese has 384 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, cheese is much lighter in carbs, much heavier in fat and similar to milk for protein. Cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 25:0:75 and for milk, 26:38:36 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cheese Milk
Protein 25% 26%
Carbohydrates ~ 38%
Fat 75% 36%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both milk and cheese are low in carbohydrates - milk has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheese has 0.13g of carbohydrates.

sugar

Cheese has less sugar than milk - milk has 5.1g of sugar per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 613% more protein than milk - milk has 3.3g of protein per 100 grams and cheese has 23.5g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Cheese is high in saturated fat and milk has 92% less saturated fat than cheese - milk has 1.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheese has 16.1g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both milk and cheese are low in trans fat - milk has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Milk has 10.8 times less cholesterol than cheese - milk has 8mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cheese has 95mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Milk and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - milk has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 216% more Vitamin A than milk - milk has 55ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cheese has 174ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Milk has 133% more Vitamin D than cheese - milk has 49iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cheese has 21iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Milk and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - milk has 0.03mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheese has 0.25mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Milk and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - milk has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cheese has 2.5ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Cheese Milk
Thiamin 0.023 MG 0.039 MG
Riboflavin 0.318 MG 0.185 MG
Niacin 0.114 MG 0.092 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.249 MG 0.356 MG
Vitamin B6 0.061 MG 0.038 MG
Folate 13 UG 5 UG
Vitamin B12 1.23 UG 0.53 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both milk and cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 449% more calcium than milk - milk has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.

iron

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

potassium

Milk has 65% more potassium than cheese - milk has 140mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheese has 85mg 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,

Cheese Milk
beta-carotene 56 UG 4 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Cheese Milk
alpha linoleic acid 0.332 G 0.008 G
Total 0.332 G 0.008 G

omega 6s

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

Cheese Milk
linoleic acid 0.532 G 0.062 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.004 G
Total 0.532 G 0.066 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 Cheese or Milk .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) .

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G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
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niacin (Vit B3)
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protein
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biotin (Vit B7)
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choline
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G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does milk or cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?
Cheese is high in calories and milk has 90% less calories than cheese - milk has 50 calories in 100g and cheese has 384 calories.

Does milk or cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both milk and cheese are low in carbohydrates - milk has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and cheese has 0.13g of carbohydrates.

Does milk or cheese contain more calcium?
Both milk and cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 450% more calcium than milk - milk has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.

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