Buttermilk vs. Egg Yolk

Nutrition comparison of Buttermilk and Egg Yolk


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

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

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

  • Both egg yolk and buttermilk are high in calcium.
  • Egg yolk has 7.7 times less sugar than buttermilk.
  • Egg yolk has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12, however, buttermilk contains more niacin.
  • Egg yolk is a great source of iron.
  • Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin D and protein.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, egg yolk has more dha and epa than buttermilk.
Detailed nutritional comparison of buttermilk and egg yolk 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 Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Buttermilk src
Image of Egg Yolk src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Egg yolk is high in calories and buttermilk has 81% less calories than egg yolk - egg yolk has 322 calories per 100 grams and buttermilk has 62 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, buttermilk is much heavier in carbs, much lighter in fat and similar to egg yolk for protein. Buttermilk has a macronutrient ratio of 21:32:48 and for egg yolk, 20:5:75 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Buttermilk Egg Yolk
Protein 21% 20%
Carbohydrates 32% 5%
Fat 48% 75%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both egg yolk and buttermilk are low in carbohydrates - egg yolk has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and buttermilk has 4.9g of carbohydrates.

sugar

Egg yolk has 7.7 times less sugar than buttermilk - egg yolk has 0.56g of sugar per 100 grams and buttermilk has 4.9g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Egg yolk is an excellent source of protein and it has 394% more protein than buttermilk - egg yolk has 15.9g of protein per 100 grams and buttermilk has 3.2g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Egg yolk is high in saturated fat and buttermilk has 80% less saturated fat than egg yolk - egg yolk has 9.6g of saturated fat per 100 grams and buttermilk has 1.9g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Egg yolk is high in cholesterol and buttermilk has 99% less cholesterol than egg yolk - egg yolk has 1085mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and buttermilk has 11mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 711% more Vitamin A than buttermilk - egg yolk has 381ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and buttermilk has 47ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has 319% more Vitamin D than buttermilk - egg yolk has 218iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and buttermilk has 52iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Egg yolk has 35 times more Vitamin E than buttermilk - egg yolk has 2.6mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Egg yolk and buttermilk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - egg yolk has 0.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Egg yolk has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12, however, buttermilk contains more niacin.

Buttermilk Egg Yolk
Thiamin 0.047 MG 0.176 MG
Riboflavin 0.172 MG 0.528 MG
Niacin 0.09 MG 0.024 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.38 MG 2.99 MG
Vitamin B6 0.036 MG 0.35 MG
Folate 5 UG 146 UG
Vitamin B12 0.46 UG 1.95 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both egg yolk and buttermilk are high in calcium. Egg yolk has 12% more calcium than buttermilk - egg yolk has 129mg of calcium per 100 grams and buttermilk has 115mg of calcium.

iron

Egg yolk is a great source of iron and it has 90 times more iron than buttermilk - egg yolk has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and buttermilk has 0.03mg of iron.

potassium

Egg yolk and buttermilk contain similar amounts of potassium - egg yolk has 109mg 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 Egg Yolk
beta-carotene 7 UG 88 UG
alpha-carotene ~ 38 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 1094 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, egg yolk has more DHA and EPA than buttermilk per 100 grams. Both buttermilk and egg yolk contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Buttermilk Egg Yolk
alpha linoleic acid 0.076 G 0.103 G
DHA ~ 0.114 G
EPA ~ 0.011 G
Total 0.076 G 0.228 G

omega 6s

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

Buttermilk Egg Yolk
linoleic acid 0.122 G 3.538 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.438 G
Total 0.122 G 3.976 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 Buttermilk or Egg Yolk .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Buttermilk (Milk, buttermilk, fluid, whole) and Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) .

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FAQ

Does egg yolk or buttermilk contain more calories in 100 grams?
Egg yolk is high in calories and buttermilk has 80% less calories than egg yolk - egg yolk has 322 calories in 100g and buttermilk has 62 calories.

Does egg yolk or buttermilk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both egg yolk and buttermilk are low in carbohydrates - egg yolk has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and buttermilk has 4.9g of carbohydrates.

Does egg yolk or buttermilk contain more calcium?
Both egg yolk and buttermilk are high in calcium. Egg yolk has 10% more calcium than buttermilk - egg yolk has 129mg of calcium in 100 grams and buttermilk has 115mg of calcium.