Greek Yogurt vs. Kefir

Nutrition comparison of Greek Yogurt and Kefir


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in greek yogurt and kefir:

  • Both greek yogurt and kefir are high in calcium.
  • Greek yogurt is a great source of protein.
  • Kefir is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
Detailed nutritional comparison of greek yogurt and kefir 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: Greek Yogurt (Yogurt, Greek, plain, lowfat) and Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Greek Yogurt src
Image of Kefir src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Kefir has 41% less calories than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 73 calories per 100 grams and kefir has 43 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, greek yogurt is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and similar to kefir for fat. Greek yogurt has a macronutrient ratio of 55:22:24 and for kefir, 35:44:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Greek Yogurt Kefir
Protein 55% 35%
Carbohydrates 22% 44%
Fat 24% 21%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both greek yogurt and kefir are low in carbohydrates - greek yogurt has 3.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and kefir has 4.8g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in greek yogurt and kefir are both made of 100% sugar.

sugar

Greek yogurt and kefir contain similar amounts of sugar - greek yogurt has 3.6g of sugar per 100 grams and kefir has 4.6g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Greek yogurt is a great source of protein and it has 163% more protein than kefir - greek yogurt has 10g of protein per 100 grams and kefir has 3.8g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Greek yogurt and kefir contain similar amounts of saturated fat - greek yogurt has 1.2g of saturated fat per 100 grams and kefir has 0.66g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both greek yogurt and kefir are low in trans fat - greek yogurt has 0.06g of trans fat per 100 grams and kefir has 0.04g of trans fat.

cholesterol

Greek yogurt and kefir contain similar amounts of cholesterol - greek yogurt has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and kefir has 5mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Greek yogurt and kefir contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - greek yogurt has 0.8mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and kefir has 0.2mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Kefir is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 90% more Vitamin A than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 90ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and kefir has 171ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Kefir has more Vitamin D than greek yogurt - kefir has 41iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and greek yogurt does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Greek yogurt and kefir contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - greek yogurt has 0.04mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and kefir has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Greek yogurt and kefir contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - greek yogurt has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and kefir has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Both greek yogurt and kefir contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.

Greek Yogurt Kefir
Thiamin 0.044 MG 0.03 MG
Riboflavin 0.233 MG 0.135 MG
Niacin 0.197 MG 0.15 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.47 MG 0.385 MG
Vitamin B6 0.055 MG 0.058 MG
Folate 12 UG 13 UG
Vitamin B12 0.52 UG 0.29 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both greek yogurt and kefir are high in calcium. Kefir has 13% more calcium than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 115mg of calcium per 100 grams and kefir has 130mg of calcium.

iron

Greek yogurt and kefir contain similar amounts of iron - greek yogurt has 0.04mg of iron per 100 grams and kefir has 0.04mg of iron.

potassium

Greek yogurt and kefir contain similar amounts of potassium - greek yogurt has 141mg of potassium per 100 grams and kefir has 164mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both greek yogurt and kefir contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Greek Yogurt Kefir
alpha linoleic acid 0.007 G 0.006 G
DPA ~ 0.001 G
Total 0.007 G 0.007 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both greek yogurt and kefir contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Greek Yogurt Kefir
other omega 6 0.002 G 0.002 G
linoleic acid 0.065 G 0.042 G
Total 0.067 G 0.044 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: Greek Yogurt (Yogurt, Greek, plain, lowfat) and Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) .

Greek Yogurt g

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G Water G
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FAQ

Does greek yogurt or kefir contain more calories in 100 grams?
Kefir has 40% less calories than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 73 calories in 100g and kefir has 43 calories.

Is greek yogurt or kefir better for protein?
Greek yogurt is a great source of protein and it has 160% more protein than kefir - greek yogurt has 10g of protein per 100 grams and kefir has 3.8g of protein.

Does greek yogurt or kefir have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both greek yogurt and kefir are low in carbohydrates - greek yogurt has 3.9g of carbs for 100g and kefir has 4.8g of carbohydrates. the carbs in greek yogurt and kefir are both made of 100% sugar.

Does greek yogurt or kefir contain more calcium?
Both greek yogurt and kefir are high in calcium. Kefir has 10% more calcium than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 115mg of calcium in 100 grams and kefir has 130mg of calcium.