Cream Cheese vs. Parmesan Cheese

Nutrition comparison of Cream Cheese and Parmesan Cheese


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

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

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

  • Both parmesan cheese and cream cheese are high in Vitamin A, calcium, calories and saturated fat.
  • Parmesan cheese has more Vitamin B12.
  • Parmesan cheese is an excellent source of protein.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cream cheese and parmesan 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: Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) and Parmesan Cheese (Cheese, parmesan, hard) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Cream Cheese src
Image of Parmesan Cheese src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both parmesan cheese and cream cheese are high in calories. Parmesan cheese has 12% more calories than cream cheese - parmesan cheese has 392 calories per 100 grams and cream cheese has 350 calories.

Cream Cheese Parmesan Cheese
Protein 7% 37%
Carbohydrates 6% 3%
Fat 87% 59%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Parmesan cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of carbs - parmesan cheese has 3.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and cream cheese has 5.5g of carbohydrates.

sugar

Parmesan cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - parmesan cheese has 0.11g of sugar per 100 grams and cream cheese has 3.8g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Parmesan cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 481% more protein than cream cheese - parmesan cheese has 35.8g of protein per 100 grams and cream cheese has 6.2g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both parmesan cheese and cream cheese are high in saturated fat. Cream cheese has 36% more saturated fat than parmesan cheese - parmesan cheese has 14.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cream cheese has 20.2g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Parmesan cheese has less trans fat than cream cheese - cream cheese has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and parmesan cheese does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Parmesan cheese has 33% less cholesterol than cream cheese - parmesan cheese has 68mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cream cheese has 101mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Both parmesan cheese and cream cheese are high in Vitamin A. Cream cheese has 49% more Vitamin A than parmesan cheese - parmesan cheese has 207ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cream cheese has 308ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Parmesan cheese has more Vitamin D than cream cheese - parmesan cheese has 19iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cream cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Parmesan cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - parmesan cheese has 0.22mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cream cheese has 0.86mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Parmesan cheese and cream cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - parmesan cheese has 1.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cream cheese has 2.1ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Cream Cheese Parmesan Cheese
Thiamin 0.023 MG 0.039 MG
Riboflavin 0.23 MG 0.332 MG
Niacin 0.091 MG 0.271 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.517 MG 0.453 MG
Vitamin B6 0.056 MG 0.091 MG
Folate 9 UG 7 UG
Vitamin B12 0.22 UG 1.2 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both parmesan cheese and cream cheese are high in calcium. Parmesan cheese has 11 times more calcium than cream cheese - parmesan cheese has 1184mg of calcium per 100 grams and cream cheese has 97mg of calcium.

iron

Parmesan cheese has 645% more iron than cream cheese - parmesan cheese has 0.82mg of iron per 100 grams and cream cheese has 0.11mg of iron.

potassium

Cream cheese has 43% more potassium than parmesan cheese - parmesan cheese has 92mg of potassium per 100 grams and cream cheese has 132mg 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 cream cheese and parmesan cheese contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.

Cream Cheese Parmesan Cheese
beta-carotene 59 UG 66 UG
alpha-carotene 1 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin 7 UG ~

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, parmesan cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cream cheese per 100 grams, however, cream cheese contains more dpa than parmesan cheese per 100 grams.

Cream Cheese Parmesan Cheese
alpha linoleic acid 0.131 G 0.297 G
EPA 0.01 G ~
DPA 0.02 G ~
Total 0.161 G 0.297 G

omega 6s

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

Cream Cheese Parmesan Cheese
other omega 6 0.036 G ~
linoleic acid 1.212 G 0.272 G
Total 1.248 G 0.272 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: Cream Cheese (Cheese, cream) and Parmesan Cheese (Cheese, parmesan, hard) .

Cream Cheese g

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FAQ

Does parmesan cheese or cream cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both parmesan cheese and cream cheese are high in calories. Parmesan cheese has 10% more calories than cream cheese - parmesan cheese has 392 calories in 100g and cream cheese has 350 calories.

Is parmesan cheese or cream cheese better for protein?
Parmesan cheese is a fantastic source of protein and it has 480% more protein than cream cheese - parmesan cheese has 35.8g of protein per 100 grams and cream cheese has 6.2g of protein.

Does parmesan cheese or cream cheese contain more calcium?
Both parmesan cheese and cream cheese are high in calcium. Parmesan cheese has 11 times more calcium than cream cheese - parmesan cheese has 1184mg of calcium in 100 grams and cream cheese has 97mg of calcium.